New grade for spring 2026 is a national recognition for commitment to patient safety

SHREVEPORT, La. – Showcasing dedication to excellence and patient safety, Ochsner LSU Health – St. Mary Medical Center has earned its fifth straight ‘A’ hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization. Leapfrog assigns grades to hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on preventable errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. Currently, St. Mary Medical Center is the only northwest Louisiana hospital to hold this rating.

"Achieving an 'A' hospital safety grade reflects the dedication, teamwork and unwavering commitment of our staff, clinicians and leadership to prioritizing patient safety and providing outstanding care to our community," said Riley Waddell, CEO of Ochsner LSU Health – St. Mary Medical Center. “I am immensely proud of our team for this continued achievement and everything we have accomplished since our doors opened in 2020.”

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.

“Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center deserves recognition for its unwavering focus on protecting patients and delivering safe care, earning an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade for five consecutive cycles,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Sustaining this level of excellence over time shows a true, organization-wide commitment to making patient safety a top priority every single day.”

The Leapfrog Group grades hospitals based on three years of data. St. Mary Medical Center earned an ‘A’ during its first eligible grading cycle and has held the highest available grade ever since. This recognition adds to the hospital’s growing list of accolades, which recently includes The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care and a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care designation from U.S. News & World Report.

To explore Ochsner LSU Health – St. Mary Medical Center’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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ABOUT OCHSNER LSU HEALTH

The Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana (Ochsner LSU Health) is a partnership between Ochsner Health, the largest health system in the state of Louisiana, and LSU Health Shreveport, which includes the Schools of Medicine, Allied Health Professions and Graduate Studies and a robust research enterprise. Ochsner LSU Health provides healthcare to more than 165,000 patients across North Louisiana. With numerous convenient locations, Ochsner LSU Health includes multiple outpatient facilities, clinics, three acute care hospitals — including North Louisiana’s only Level I Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center at its acute care hospital and a newly renovated hospital with women's and children's services in Shreveport, La. and an acute care hospital in Monroe, La designated as a Level III Trauma Center — as well as Louisiana Behavioral Health, providing inpatient and intensive outpatient mental health services in partnership with Oceans Healthcare. The system has more than 4,200 employees that work alongside the Ochsner LSU Health Physician Group of 950 physicians and residents in more than 65 specialties and subspecialties.