By Paige Twenter

After omitting about 450 U.S. hospitals from its Spring 2026 safety grades, The Leapfrog Group rolled out “full transparency” badges for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers that submit all sections of Leapfrog’s surveys.

For more than a decade, Leapfrog has surveyed thousands of U.S. acute care hospitals and ASCs on patient safety measures and assigned grades, “A” to “F,” every spring and fall. Its most recent safety grades were about 20% leaner than past ratings after a lawsuit filed in April 2025.

Five hospitals that are part of Palm Beach (Fla.) Health Network, a division of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, filed the lawsuit accusing Leapfrog of penalizing hospitals that did not participate in its surveys with poor grades. In March, a Florida judge agreed and ordered Leapfrog to remove the “D” and “F” grades from those five hospitals.

The organization opted to not grade 450 nonparticipating hospitals. For each, Leapfrog has a red “Declined to Respond” notice.

“Full transparency” badges will appear next to hospitals and ASCs that complete and submit all aspects of Leapfrog’s surveys, according to a May 12 news release from the organization.

Leapfrog, which is appealing the Florida judge’s ruling, said it expects to resume full grading in fall 2026.

In a May 12 statement, the organization said, “Leapfrog looks forward to celebrating the thousands of hospitals and ASCs that have demonstrated an unflinching commitment to transparency.”