The grade, awarded for Spring 2026, is Leapfrog's highest national recognition for patient safety. 

Watertown Regional Medical Center earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for the fourth consecutive time from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. This grade represents the tenth “A” earned by Watertown Regional Medical Center in the last 13 Leapfrog grading periods. Watertown Regional was one of 16 hospitals in Wisconsin to earn the top grade in Leapfrog’s spring 2026 ratings release.

The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.

“Consistently earning this top safety honor requires hard work and a commitment to a culture of clinical excellence and transparency,” said Richard Keddington, CEO of Watertown Regional Medical Center. “Our team consistently puts the patient at the center of everything we do. We don’t just strive for safety, we practice it every day so our patients can feel confident and secure in the care they receive.”

“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that Watertown Regional is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. 

The Leapfrog honor is the most recent among a list of positive recognitions for Watertown Regional. In October, three specialty services at Watertown Regional Medical Center earned the prestigious “five-star recipient” designation from Healthgrades, an annual honor that recognizes clinical excellence based on Medicare data. And in July, Watertown Regional was one of 100 hospitals included in Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 listing of “Great Community Hospitals.”  

To view Watertown Regional’s full grade details and to find essential patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. Connect with The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and stay updated through The Leapfrog Group newsletter.