US hospital safety group reports reduction in healthcare-associated infections

New data from a nonprofit hospital safety group show that many US hospitals have cut their rate of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) over the past year.

The data from the latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades show that over 85% of US hospitals have reduced the rate of at least one of the three HAIs monitored by the group—methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs)—since fall 2022. Nineteen percent of hospitals have reduced the rates of all three HAIs.

The report assigns a letter grade to nearly 3,000 US hospitals based on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents, and infections. Nearly 30% of the hospitals in this year’s report received...