News
Saline Memorial Hospital earns Grade A in patient safety from Leapfrog
November 17, 2025
Saline Memorial Scores Third Consecutive “A” for Patient Safety
National recognition from The Leapfrog Group highlights commitment to safer care
BENTON, Ark. (Nov. 18, 2025) – For the third consecutive rating period, Saline Memorial Hospital has earned an “A” hospital safety grade in the fall 2025 report from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. The designation places Saline Memorial among the safest hospitals in the nation.
Leapfrog assigns letter grades to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, injuries and infections, along with the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. Saline Memorial earned top marks in areas, including nursing care, infection prevention and leadership accountability.
“This grade reflects the daily efforts of our entire team to deliver safe, high-quality care,” said Char Boulch, CEO of Saline Health System. “I am grateful to our staff, physicians, board members and volunteers for keeping patient safety at the forefront.”
Saline Memorial Hospital was one of only eight hospitals in Arkansas that received an “A” grade this fall. Full details on the grading, as well as valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, are available at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Leapfrog is the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. The program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Saline Memorial Hospital has made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, Leapfrog president and CEO. “We congratulate the leadership, board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
About Saline Memorial Hospital
Saline Health System, a part of Lifepoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of primary care and specialty clinics. Saline Memorial Hospital has been caring for Saline County and its surrounding communities for more than 70 years. Saline Memorial Hospital is proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Grade “A” Hospital for its commitment to patient safety and with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the Chest Pain-MI Registry for delivering the highest quality care for cardiac patients. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center.
More information about Saline Memorial Hospital is available at 501.776.6000 or online at SalineMemorial.org. More information about Lifepoint Health is available at LifepointHealth.net.
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.