Hospital Safety Grades: How Lubbock Hospitals Performed in Latest Rankings

When we experience an illness, an accident, or bring new life into the world, we want to believe that we are receiving the best care possible from knowledgeable, careful, and kind people.

However, it can be challenging to determine the safety and effectiveness of a hospital. Luckily, there is The Leapfrog Group, which promotes transparency with hospitals in the interest of patient advocacy.

How Hospital Safety Rankings Are Determined

Leapfrog uses letter grades, with "A" being truly excellent and "D" being quite dismal. It's a scale we are all used to, so it makes "at a glance" quite easy.

Read More: Warning: Ten Texas Hospitals Have Dismal Patient Safety Standards

Hospitals are graded in five major areas, each with specific and important subsections. The five categories are:

Infections looks into how often people get infections inside the hospital, like C. diff, MRSA, blood and urine infections, etc.

Problems With Surgery looks at so-called "never" events, like objects left in a patient's body after surgery and tears, cuts, etc.

Safety Problems could also be called "Neglect" as it looks at things like patient falls, bed sores, etc.

Practices to Prevent Errors is about hand washing, prescription protocols, etc.

Doctors, Nurses & Hospital Staff is a category about leadership, communication, bedside manner, and staffing.
Read More: Eight Texas Hospitals Lauded As Best In The Nation By Experts

Which Lubbock Hospitals Received the Highest Grades?

Only two Lubbock area* hospitals agreed to participate in the Leapfrog rankings, but they are the "big" two: UMC and Covenant.

I am happy to report that they both received a great "B" ranking for Spring 2025. Both also received a "B" for Fall 2025.

* shoutout to Covenant Hospital Plainview, which is slightly outside of what I would consider "Lubbock," it received an "A" score! 

Areas Where Lubbock Hospitals Excelled

Covenant did an excellent job in the "Safety Problems" category, showing the hospital has a caring, kind, and attentive staff.

UMC excelled in the "Infections' category, showing a very high standard of cleanliness and care.

While a "B" ranking does leave some room for improvement for both hospitals, it should also set your mind at ease that our local big hospitals make patient safety a huge priority.

Their willingness to participate in the rankings demonstrates transparency and a commitment to improvement in every area. So next time you need care, rest easy knowing you can trust either of our big two.