DURANGO, CO (December 15, 2025) – Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital has been named a Top Rural Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. The award is one of the most competitive honors hospitals and surgery centers in the United States can receive for their commitment to safety and quality. The winning facilities will be presented with their awards as part of Leapfrog’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Dec. 15.
“This recognition as a Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital is a powerful testament to the collaborative spirit and vigilance of the entire Mercy Hospital team,” said Josh Neff, President, Mercy Hospital. “It highlights our collective success in upholding the highest standards of safety and quality, which directly translates into better outcomes and peace of mind for our patients and their families. This award isn’t just for us; it’s a shared victory for our community.”
Over 2,400 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Mercy Hospital received a Top Rural distinction. A total of 156 Top Hospitals were selected, including:
- 15 Top Children’s Hospitals
- 52 Top General Hospitals
- 16 Top Rural Hospitals
- 73 Top Teaching Hospitals
The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit watchdog organization that rates hospitals and ASCs on how well they protect patients from preventable harm, including accidents, injuries and infections. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is given to teaching, general, rural and children’s hospitals that publicly report their performance through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and meet the high standards defined in the Top Hospitals methodology. This includes infection rates, maternity care and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors, among other standards.
“Mercy Hospital has distinguished itself through an unwavering focus on safety and quality, earning a place on this year’s list of Top Hospitals,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This recognition reflects a culture of transparency and continuous improvement—one embraced by every member of the organization. We commend the entire team at Mercy Hospital for reaching this outstanding milestone.”
To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety, and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2025 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Among its initiatives, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade was launched in 2012 and 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. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. It is fully transparent and free to the public, and grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring. To look up your hospital’s Safety Grade, please visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Inspired by faith. Driven by innovation. Powered by humankindness. CommonSpirit Health is building a healthier future for all through its integrated health services. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, CommonSpirit Health delivers more than 20 million patient encounters annually through more than 2,300 clinics, care sites and 137 hospital-based locations, in addition to its home-based services and virtual care offerings. CommonSpirit has more than 155,000 employees, 45,000 nurses and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice providers across 24 states and contributes more than $4 billion annually in charity care, community benefits and unreimbursed government programs. Together with our patients, physicians, partners, and communities, we are creating a more just, equitable, and innovative healthcare delivery system. Learn more at commonspirit.org.
