Willamette Valley Medical Center Earns a Fourth Straight ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group
May 06, 2026
Spring 2026 Grade is a national recognition for commitment to patient safety
McMinnville, May 6, 2026 – Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) received its fourth-in-a-row “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns an “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.
“Earning an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group is a significant accomplishment and means that we are one of the safest hospitals in the country.” said Dewane Pace, CEO of WVMC. “This is our 4th Leapfrog ‘A’ in a row! Only 13% of the hospitals in the country have achieved this distinction. The team here at Willamette Valley Medical Center is committed to maintaining the safest possible level of care for our patients. A special thanks to Kristi Amerson, our Director of Quality for leading the charge on this and as she says when welcoming new employees, ‘Welcome to the Quality Team; Quality and Safety is everyone’s job’. We truly have a culture of quality and safety here and I am incredibly proud of this team.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that WVMC is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”
To explore Willamette Valley Medical Center’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, and via its newsletter.
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About Willamette Valley Medical Center
Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) is a 60-bed acute-care, full-service facility, accredited by The Joint Commission and certified as an accredited Chest Pain Center by ACC Accreditation Services, the accrediting arm of the American College of Cardiology, and nationally recognized care for hip fracture treatment by healthgrades.
For over 120 years, WVMC has served as the region’s leading provider of healthcare services and plays a critical role in advancing care for our patients and their families. Since our founding, we have been driven by the idea that great communities deserve great healthcare. Our team is united by a mission of making communities healthier and ensuring quality care is more than just a set of clinical criteria – it is a way of life, encompassing everything we do. Combined with great care, WVMC is also investing resources locally in programs, such Henderson House, YCAP, Habitat for Humanity, and many more that are supporting individuals and families and creating positive community impact.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.