North Carolina Hospitals Earn Fifth-Safest State Ranking

North Carolina snagged the fifth-safest state slot for hospital care when The Leapfrog Group dropped its fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades this month. Ninety-three hospitals across the state received safety scores. This marks the best performance since last fall.

Utah claimed the top spot with the most facilities earning A grades. Fifth year running. Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut filled out the next three positions before North Carolina.

The Hospital Safety Grade evaluates general hospitals throughout the U.S. on preventing medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections that harm patients. Roughly 30 safety measures get weighed, plus five patient-experience factors that influence safety results.

Seven Charlotte-area hospitals pulled A grades in the fall 2025 report: Atrium Health Cabarrus, Atrium Health Union, Atrium Health Union West, Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center, Novant Health Matthews Medical Center, Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center, and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.

"Our teams across Novant Health are dedicated to delivering safe, high-quality care to every patient, and we take great pride in that shared commitment," Dr. David Priest, senior vice president and chief safety and quality officer at Novant Health, said in a news release, per the Charlotte Observer.

Eight Triangle-area facilities also nabbed A grades. Duke Regional Hospital, Johnston Health in Smithfield, Johnston Health in Clayton, Rex Hospital, WakeMed Cary Hospital, WakeMed North Hospital, WakeMed Raleigh Campus, and University of North Carolina Hospitals all scored at the top.

"Earning a top grade from Leapfrog is a reflection of the commitment of our teammates and physicians to provide excellent care for our patients every day," Dr. Cristy Page, interim CEO of UNC Health, said in a news release, per the News & Observer. "We know patients and their families have choices about where to receive care, and we're proud to be a destination for patients from across North Carolina and beyond."

The Leapfrog Group recognized 18 "Straight A" hospitals in North Carolina that scored A grades for five or more grading periods. Four sit in the Charlotte area. Three operate in the Triangle.

Grades get assigned using data from public sources like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Individual scores drop into five buckets: infections, problems with surgery, safety problems, practices to prevent errors, and doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.

The grading program kicked off in 2012. Grades go out twice a year to almost 3,000 hospitals nationwide.