The Leapfrog Group

What The Leapfrog Group does

The Leapfrog Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that operates as the principal independent rating body for U.S. hospital and ambulatory surgery center safety and quality. Its core technology is a rule-based methodology that processes annual voluntary survey responses covering 30+ evidence-based measures (including healthcare-associated infections, medication safety system adoption, and staffing) and converts them into semi-annual letter grades for nearly 3,000 general hospitals, with an expansion to roughly 4,000 ambulatory surgery centers scheduled for late July 2026. Underlying data collection relies on self-submission from participating hospitals and ASCs rather than direct EMR or claims integration, with scoring performed against standardized measure definitions developed by Leapfrog's expert panels.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across three streams: (1) survey participation fees paid by hospitals and ASCs, (2) a formal data licensing program that sells access to survey data, safety grades, and value-based purchasing datasets to health plans, employers, transparency vendors, brokers, and researchers, and (3) donations and contributions consistent with its nonprofit status. Customer segments span B2B (hospitals, ASCs, health plans, employers, data vendors) and B2C (patients and families accessing ratings), with go-to-market executed primarily through direct sales for enterprise licensing, public-facing websites for consumer-grade discovery, and an annual Patient Safety Summit and Awards Gala for engagement. Operating geographies are U.S.-only. The organization employs 11–50 staff, generated approximately $8 million in revenue in 2024, and faces material ongoing legal exposure stemming from 2024–2026 federal court rulings that its grading methodology was unfair to non-participating hospitals.

Name

The Leapfrog Group

Legal name

The Leapfrog Group

Website

https://leapfroggroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Leapfrog Group is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 2000 that collects, analyzes, and publishes hospital and ambulatory surgery center safety and quality ratings, serving patients, employers, health plans, and data vendors through surveys, letter grades, and licensed datasets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Quality Ratings & Transparency

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Measurement, Reporting & Benchmarking (HEDIS/Stars/CQM) (HLACAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospital Outpatient Surgery Departments (HOPDs) (HLAFAIAC), Health Statistics & Reporting (National/State/Local Indicators) (HLAJAJAC), Health Data, Vital Statistics & Population Health Informatics (BPAIAJAM)

Keywords

• Hospital safety ratings
• Patient safety reporting
• Healthcare transparency
• Ambulatory surgery ratings
• Value-based purchasing data

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Data Licensing: Leapfrog licenses its hospital survey data, safety grades, and value-based purchasing program data to health plans, transparency vendors, employers, researchers, and other organizations. This is a primary revenue stream.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Leapfrog Group accepts donations to support its mission of healthcare transparency and patient safety.
3. Annual Survey Fees: Hospitals and ASCs pay fees to participate in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and ASC Survey programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Leapfrog Group collects, analyzes, and publicly reports hospital and ambulatory surgery center safety and quality data through voluntary annual surveys and semi-annual letter-grade ratings. It licenses this proprietary comparative dataset to employers, health plans, transparency vendors, and researchers, and operates recognition and value-based purchasing programs that drive hospital accountability.

Product overview

The Leapfrog Group operates a portfolio of hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) ratings products centered around two core programs: the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. The Hospital Survey is an annual voluntary data collection program where hospitals report on 30+ evidence-based measures of patient safety, quality, and resource use. The Hospital Safety Grade converts this data (along with other publicly available data) into letter grades assigned twice yearly. The organization also offers the Leapfrog ASC Survey for outpatient surgical centers, the Value-Based Purchasing Program for employers and purchasers to tie payments to quality, and recognition programs including the Recognized Leader in Diabetes Program (with ADA), Top Hospitals Award, and Top ASCs. Data licensing is available for health plans, transparency vendors, employers, researchers, and brokers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hospital Safety Grade: A public reporting program that assigns letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) to general hospitals on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents and infections.
• Leapfrog Hospital Survey
• Leapfrog ASC Survey
• Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes
• Top Children's Hospital Award
• Judie Burrows Education Institute
• Leapfrog Hospital Learning Collaborative

Products and services

• Leapfrog Hospital Survey Annual voluntary survey collecting data from hospitals on patient safety, quality, and resource use measures including medication safety, infection prevention, and nursing staffing. Designed for U.S. general hospitals seeking public safety ratings and benchmarking.
• Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Twice-yearly report assigning letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) to general hospitals on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents, and infections based on 30+ evidence-based measures. Used by patients, employers, and purchasers to compare hospital safety performance.
• Leapfrog ASC Survey and Public Reporting Program Survey and public reporting program for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) collecting data on safety, quality, and patient experience measures for outpatient surgical care. The expanded 2026 program rates nearly 4,000 ASCs nationwide.
• Leapfrog Data Licensing Program Licensing programs allowing health plans, transparency vendors, employers, researchers, consultants, and brokers to access and use Leapfrog hospital and ASC survey data in their products, services, and value-based purchasing initiatives.
• Leapfrog Value-Based Purchasing Program Program allowing purchasers and employers to use Leapfrog data to evaluate hospital performance and tie payments to quality and safety metrics.
• Recognized Leader in Diabetes Program Recognition program developed jointly with the American Diabetes Association to recognize hospitals demonstrating high-quality care for people living with diabetes, assessed on evidence-based processes including blood glucose testing, hypoglycemia protocols, inpatient surgery preparation, and patient safety standards.
• Top Hospitals Award Annual recognition program identifying hospitals demonstrating excellence in patient safety and quality, with categories including general, children's, and rural hospitals. Nicklaus Children's Hospital earned the Top Children's Hospital Award for the fourth consecutive year.
• Top ASCs Recognition program for Ambulatory Surgery Centers demonstrating excellence in safety and quality measures.
• Leapfrog Hospital Learning Collaborative Collaborative program providing hospitals with resources, benchmarking, and best practices sharing to improve patient safety performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• American Diabetes AssociationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Joint program to recognize hospitals providing high-quality care for people living with diabetes. The 2026 Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes program assessed hospitals on evidence-based processes including blood glucose testing, hypoglycemia protocols, inpatient surgery preparation, and patient safety standards. 37 hospitals across 14 states earned recognition.
• Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBGH is a nonprofit coalition representing major U.S. employers. Their Health Care Data Demonstration Project uses hospital price data and coverage information to help employers identify overcharges and manage healthcare costs better. Leapfrog data supports this transparency initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Press Ganey: Press Ganey is a major patient experience measurement and healthcare performance analytics firm. Comparable to Leapfrog in providing hospital performance data, though focused more on patient experience surveys than clinical safety measures.
• Quantros: Quantros provides healthcare quality and safety data analytics for hospitals. Comparable to Leapfrog as a quality measurement and benchmarking vendor with overlapping hospital safety indicator offerings.
• Vizient: Vizient is a healthcare performance improvement company serving hospitals with benchmarking, analytics, and supply chain solutions. Comparable to Leapfrog in providing performance benchmarking data to hospital members, though with a broader operational focus.
• CareChex (by Quantros/InfoSonics): CareChex provides hospital and physician quality ratings and rankings using publicly available data. Comparable to Leapfrog as a hospital quality rating publication, though uses different methodology and data sources.

Direct peers

• Healthgrades: Healthgrades publishes consumer-facing hospital ratings, specialty rankings, and quality data used by patients making care decisions. Directly comparable to Leapfrog as a hospital transparency and ratings platform serving patients and purchasers.
• The Joint Commission: The Joint Commission accredits and evaluates virtually all U.S. hospitals using safety and quality standards. Most comparable to Leapfrog in applying evidence-based quality measurement frameworks to general hospitals, though accreditation is the primary mechanism versus Leapfrog's voluntary survey/grade model.
• U.S. News & World Report - Best Hospitals: U.S. News publishes the widely-used Best Hospitals rankings that influence patient hospital selection and employer/payer decisions. Comparable to Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades as a high-profile hospital quality public reporting brand.
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): NCQA operates HEDIS quality measurement and accreditation programs for health plans and providers. Highly comparable to Leapfrog in producing standardized quality benchmarks that drive value-based purchasing and employer decisions.

Others

• Patient Safety Movement Foundation: Patient Safety Movement Foundation is a nonprofit advocating for zero preventable hospital deaths through actionable patient safety solutions. Comparable to Leapfrog as a patient safety nonprofit, though focused on advocacy and solution development rather than facility ratings.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): CMS operates the Hospital Compare and Care Compare programs publishing mandated hospital quality data (HAIs, readmissions, etc.) used in value-based purchasing. Comparable to Leapfrog as a quality measurement and public reporting authority for U.S. hospitals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leapfroggroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheLeapfrogGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/108795457620
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leapfrog-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/theleapfroggroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Leapfrog Group