Which central PA hospitals are the safest? Here’s how a watchdog group graded them
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Leapfrog released fall 2025 safety grades covering nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals.
- Three local hospitals earned A grades; one received C and one received D.
- Pennsylvania’s share of A hospitals rose to 43.5%, moving state rank from 10th to 8th.
A national watchdog group recently scored four central Pennsylvania hospitals below-average in preventing health care-acquired infections, an important safety measure facilities have grappled with since the beginning of the pandemic.
Mount Nittany Medical Center, Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, UPMC Altoona and Penn Highlands Huntingdon each scored below average for at least one infection-related safety measure in an autumn 2025 patient safety report from The Leapfrog Group.
The organization is a nonprofit that provides ratings and safety data for hospitals. It recently released grades for nearly 3,000 short-term, acute care hospitals across the country. The grades are updated twice each year, in the spring and fall.
Each of five local hospitals received the same overall letter grades they did in the spring grading cycle, although there were changes in the individual scores for various safety metrics. Three central Pennsylvania facilities achieved A grades, while one was given a C and another a D.
Nationwide, Leapfrog gave fewer hospitals As and Cs this fall, and more Bs compared to the spring report.
The group calculates its hospital safety grades on a combination of voluntary surveys and mandatory reporting from third-party sources, such as the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Four of five local facilities participated in Leapfrog’s voluntary survey, while Penn Highlands Huntingdon officials declined to participate. In a statement to the Centre Daily Times, staff cited reasons for their lack of participation, including a heavy time lift required for staff to complete the survey, as well as licensing fees associated with Leapfrog.
It does not cost money to participate in Leapfrog’s survey or view the data, according to the watchdog organization, but there is a licensing fee associated with using Leapfrog’s official logo in marketing materials.
Because Penn Highlands Huntingdon did not participate in Leapfrog’s voluntary survey, data was unavailable for some safety metrics that rely on self-reporting. After a methodology change in fall 2024, Leapfrog assigns hospitals the lowest score for some areas that rely on self-reporting when hospitals decline to participate in the survey. Below, those categories are not listed as areas where Penn Highlands Huntingdon was scored below average since actual data is not available.
Pennsylvania moved up in the state rankings this fall for the greatest percentage of “A” hospitals, with an increase from 42.4% to 43.5%, bringing the state from 10th to eighth in the nation.
While several local hospitals struggled with infection control, national trends show health care-acquired infection rates are showing continued improvement in the U.S. after a major spike during the pandemic, Leapfrog Group program analyst Alex Campione said in a recent interview with McClatchy Media.
Hospitals are also seeing a general improvement in Leapfrog’s hand-washing metric, which focuses on training and monitoring. While some metrics have seen overall improvement recently, one important metric has not yet recovered from COVID.
“Hospitals are improving in patient experience, but many hospitals are still behind from where they were prior to the pandemic,” Campione said.
One possible reason for the declined patient experience is staffing shortages, Campione added. Health care worker shortages have been rampant nationwide for years, due in part to frequent staff burnout and increased turnover.
“If health care providers are stretched thin, then they don’t have that time to spend with patients, that kind of quality time where a patient feels heard and they’re able to communicate either their medications or the discharge information that’s so crucial to providing safe care,” Campione said.
Some central Pennsylvania hospitals scored below average for patient experience measures, including discharge information and communication with doctors.
Here’s what else to know about how central Pennsylvania hospitals performed in Leapfrog’s latest grading cycle, plus how to interpret ratings and which areas should be most heavily considered.
Mount Nittany Medical Center
Fall 2025 grade: A
Spring 2025 grade: A
Fall 2024 grade: A
Here are the areas in which Mount Nittany Medical Center scored below average this fall:
- C. diff infection
- Infection in the urinary tract
- Death from serious treatable complications
- Blood leakage
“This recognition is a testament to the culture of safety we’ve built at Mount Nittany Health,” Dr. Upendra Thaker, chief medical officer of Mount Nittany Medical Center, wrote in an emailed statement to the CDT. “It’s not just about meeting benchmarks, it’s about doing what’s right for every patient, every time. I’m honored to work alongside such a dedicated team of professionals who put patient well-being at the center of everything we do.”
Geisinger Lewistown Hospital
Fall 2025 grade: A
Spring 2025 grade: A
Fall 2024 grade: A
Here are the areas in which Geisinger Lewistown Hospital scored below average this fall:
- Infection in the blood
- Infection in the urinary tract
- Harmful events
- Dangerous bed sores
- Collapsed lung
Data was unavailable for two metrics, not due to any lack of reporting.
“Geisinger has been the trusted name for health care in our communities for more than 100 years,” Dr. Sabrina Sumner, chief medical officer for Geisinger’s western region, wrote in an emailed statement to the CDT. “By earning an ‘A’ from Leapfrog, we’re showing our patients that trust is well earned. When they visit Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, they can feel confident that they’re in the safest, most capable hands in the entire country.”
Conemaugh Nason Medical Center
Fall 2025 grade: A
Spring 2025 grade: A
Fall 2024 grade: A
Here are the areas in which Conemaugh Nason Medical Center scored below average this fall:
- Nursing and bedside care for patients (Conemaugh Nason Medical Center scored a 40 out of 100 for this metric, the average was 79.09.)
- Specially trained doctors care for intensive care unit patients (Conemaugh Nason Medical Center received a 5 for this metric, the lowest score given)
Data was unavailable for four metrics, not due to any lack of reporting.
“We are honored to receive the Leapfrog ‘A’ rating, a recognition that reflects the unwavering dedication of our entire team,” Michelle Buttry, chief operating officer at Conemaugh Nason, wrote in an emailed statement to the CDT. “Every member of our staff — nurses, physicians, technicians, and the full support team at Conemaugh Nason — plays a vital role in maintaining a safe, high-quality environment for our patients. We are deeply grateful to our community for the trust they place in us each day. This achievement motivates us to continue raising the bar for patient safety and quality and reinforces our mission of making communities healthier.”
UPMC Altoona
Fall 2025 grade: C
Spring 2025 grade: C
Fall 2024 grade: B
Here are the areas in which UPMC Altoona scored below average this fall:
- C. diff infection
- Death from serious treatable complications
- Accidental cuts and tears
- Harmful events
- Dangerous bed sores
- Patient falls and injuries
- Communication with doctors
- Responsiveness of hospital staff
“We appreciate this feedback from Leapfrog. Our team has already taken concrete steps toward improving the quality and safety of our care. We remain firm in our commitment to our patients,” UPMC spokesperson Sarah Deist wrote in an emailed statement.
Penn Highlands Huntingdon
Fall 2025 grade: D
Spring 2025 grade: D
Fall 2024 grade: D
Here are the areas in which Penn Highlands Huntingdon scored below average this fall:
- C. diff infection
- Patient falls and injuries
- Communication about discharge
Data was unavailable for 13 metrics, seven due to a lack of reporting and six for unrelated reasons.
“While The Leapfrog Group collects and publishes health care quality data, the organization’s data is not comprehensive. Their data comes from public health sources and individual hospital submissions. Although Penn Highlands Huntingdon submitted information in the past, we have chosen to discontinue participation. In order to submit data, it is estimated that 180 hours of hospital leadership and staff time are needed to complete the 317-page long survey. In addition, there are significant licensing fees,” Penn Highlands Healthcare spokesperson Corinne Laboon wrote in an emailed statement to the CDT.
“At Penn Highlands Huntingdon, our patients come first. As a rural hospital, we maintain that the time needed to complete the survey and the expense for the licensing fees would have a greater impact spent on patient care rather than providing data to The Leapfrog Group.
“Penn Highlands Huntingdon has been serving the region for more than 100 years. The hospital has upgraded technology and services to improve the quality of patient care. Penn Highlands Huntingdon consistently earns national distinctions for patient safety and quality. For four consecutive years, the hospital earned The Chartis Center for Rural Health Top 100 Rural and Community Hospital Award. In addition, in 2024, the year for which The Leapfrog Group ratings reflect, Penn Highlands Huntingdon received the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award.”
How are hospital grades calculated?
Safety grades are calculated using up to 22 national safety measures from the Leapfrog survey, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other data sources. The full methodology is available online and peer-reviewed and published by the Journal of Patient Safety.
Grades are composed 50% by process and structural measures and 50% by outcome measures. The scoring scales differ by the chosen measure.
Leapfrog emphasizes you should not refuse emergency care based on hospital ratings. The group intends the scores to be used when planning things like childbirth, surgery referrals or chronic illness treatment.
Some of the areas you should pay special attention to when choosing a hospital include hand-washing, infection in the blood and patient falls, Leapfrog’s website says. Campione said while all the measures are important, she would pay particular attention to health care-acquired infection rates.
You should also consider how far off your hospital was from the average for any given standard. When evaluating, you can see the highest and lowest scores given, which helps in weighing a value.
For hospitals that responded to Leapfrog’s survey, there’s often information available about which areas the hospital has improved in and which areas are not trending in the right direction.
A hospital being ungraded does not denote a lack of safety. Ratings are often unavailable for smaller providers, children’s hospitals, surgical centers and critical access hospitals. Leapfrog allows you to search for hospitals by name, location or state.
