CarolinaEast Medical Center Achieves Elite National Status as a ‘Straight A’ Hospital for Patient Safety

CarolinaEast Medical Center was awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for the fifth consecutive time by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. This designates CarolinaEast as a “Straight A” hospital, defined as hospitals that have an “A” for fall 2025 and have sustained that grade for the last five or more grading rounds. This select group represents 12% of all eligible hospitals.

“I am proud of the dedication and compassion shown by our 3,200 employees and more than 300 volunteers who work each day to ensure our patients’ safety,” said Michael Smith, President and CEO of CarolinaEast Health System. “Receiving five consecutive ‘A’ safety grades from one of the nation’s most respected healthcare ratings organizations reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence in patient care.”

The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

“My sincere congratulations to CarolinaEast Medical Center for upholding patient safety standards through thick and thin, achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade for five consecutive rounds of the Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Consistently earning an ‘A’ demonstrates a long-term, organization-wide commitment to putting patient safety first.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries and infections that can lead to harm or even death. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. Additionally, North Carolina is ranked #5 in the state rankings. To see CarolinaEast’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.