6 AdventHealth West Florida hospitals earn top ‘A’ safety grades for protecting patients

TAMPA, Fla. — Choosing a hospital can be one of the most important decisions a person makes, and safety plays a critical role in that choice.

Hospital safety ratings help patients and families understand how well a hospital protects people from preventable harm, such as infections, injuries and medical errors, during their care.

This spring, six AdventHealth hospitals across West Florida earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization focused exclusively on patient safety.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is based on more than 30 measures that evaluate how safely hospitals deliver care behind the scenes, including infection prevention, safe medication practices and strong communication among care teams.

Grades are updated twice each year and are designed to give consumers clear, easy‑to‑understand information when choosing where to receive care.

The AdventHealth West Florida hospitals earning an “A” grade include:

Tampa Bay and surrounding communities
AdventHealth Carrollwood
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
AdventHealth Zephyrhills
AdventHealth Dade City
AdventHealth North Pinellas

Central and North Central Florida
AdventHealth Lake Wales

AdventHealth Wauchula, serving Hardee County, is also consistently recognized as a top rural hospital by The Leapfrog Group for high quality and patient safety.

“For patients, an ‘A’ safety grade means peace of mind,” said Raj Wadhawan, MD, chief clinical officer for AdventHealth West Florida Division. “It reflects the daily commitment our physicians, nurses and care teams make to protecting patients — from preventing infections and complications to speaking up, double‑checking and working together to keep people safe at every step of their care.”

Unlike many hospital rankings, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade focuses solely on safety — how well hospitals reduce risks and prevent harm before it happens.

“Safety lives in the details,” said Dawn Hicks‑Waldron, chief nursing officer for AdventHealth West Florida Division. “It shows up in how consistently teams follow best practices, how closely patients are monitored and how comfortable families feel asking questions. This recognition reflects the compassion, vigilance and teamwork our nurses and caregivers bring to patients every single day.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said earning an “A” grade reflects a strong culture of safety.

“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety,” Binder said. “I extend my congratulations to these AdventHealth hospitals, their leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating environments where patients come first.”

At AdventHealth, safety is a cornerstone of whole‑person care — caring for the body, mind and spirit. That commitment includes using evidence‑based practices, empowering care teams to speak up and ensuring patients feel informed, respected and cared for throughout their hospital experience.

Patients can explore full safety grades and learn tips for staying safe during a hospital stay at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.