Albany Medical Center.

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

A new national safety report has revealed how well Capital Region hospitals are protecting patients from preventable harm — and the latest grades show stark differences across counties.

The Leapfrog Group released its Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades on Thursday, Nov. 13, evaluating more than 3,000 hospitals nationwide on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and injuries. 

The nonprofit watchdog assigns hospitals a letter grade from A through F and updates the report twice a year.

The scores focus on safety issues that Leapfrog says harm one in four hospitalized patients and lead to as many as 250,000 deaths annually. The methodology is based on publicly available data, peer-reviewed measures, and guidance from a national panel of patient safety experts.

Capital Region Hospital Grades

Albany County

  • Albany Medical Center (Albany): C

  • St. Peter’s Hospital (Albany): C

Columbia County

  • Columbia Memorial Hospital (Hudson): D

Rensselaer County

  • Samaritan Hospital – Main Campus (Troy): B

Saratoga County

  • Saratoga Hospital (Saratoga Springs): A

Schenectady County

  • Ellis Hospital (Schenectady): C

Leapfrog notes that an A grade reflects excellence in preventing infections, avoiding medical mistakes, maintaining strong staffing levels, and responding effectively to critical events. Lower grades often highlight challenges in safety practices, communication, or hospital-acquired infections.

Residents can search individual hospital results and see detailed safety metrics on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade website.