From staff reports

LEWISTOWN — Several hospitals in central Pennsylvania received top marks in the latest Hospital Safety Grades released by the Leapfrog Group, including Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital and four hospitals within Penn State Health.

Geisinger Lewistown Hospital earned an “A” grade for spring 2026, marking its eighth consecutive top rating since spring 2022.

“Earning an A rating is a powerful affirmation of our focus on patient safety and quality,” Sabrina Sumner, chief medical officer at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, said in a statement. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and care teams who show up every day committed to delivering exceptional, compassionate care to the communities we serve.”

According to Leapfrog, only 12% of eligible hospitals nationwide achieved straight “A” grades during that time period.

Meanwhile, Penn State Health announced that four of its hospitals received “A” grades in the latest ratings. Those hospitals were Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center received a “B” grade.

“We are proud of the continued dedication our teams show every day to advancing patient safety and delivering the highest quality care,” Dr. Michael Kupferman, chief executive officer of Penn State Health, said in a statement. “Our Leapfrog ratings reflect not only where we are today, but the significant progress we’ve made over time.”

Penn State Health officials said the system emphasizes evidence-based safety practices aimed at preventing hospital-acquired conditions, surgical complications and patient falls, while improving early detection of complications.

Founded in 2000, the Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals grades ranging from “A” to “F” based on more than 30 national performance measures tied to preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as safety systems hospitals have in place. Ratings are updated twice each year in the spring and fall.

More information and complete hospital ratings are available at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.