Judge orders hospital rating group to remove grades of 5 Florida hospitals

Leapfrog Group told to take down safety scores after lawsuit claims unfair scoring methodology

Mar. 14, 2026 at 9:05am

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A federal judge ordered the Leapfrog Group, an independent hospital rating organization, to remove the safety grades of five South Florida hospitals after the hospitals sued, claiming Leapfrog unfairly scored them by changing its methodology to penalize non-participating hospitals. The judge ruled Leapfrog's scoring changes had "no scientific basis" and "unfairly penalized" the hospitals.

Why it matters

This ruling could have a "chilling effect" on other hospital rating groups, as it sets a precedent that hospitals can successfully sue over unfair scoring methodologies. It raises questions about the transparency and validity of hospital safety ratings, which many consumers rely on when choosing healthcare providers.

The details

The five hospitals - Good Samaritan Medical Center, Delray Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center - are owned by Tenet Healthcare. They stopped participating in Leapfrog's voluntary safety surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Leapfrog changed its methodology to score non-participating hospitals as "limited achievement," which lowered their overall grades. The hospitals sued, arguing this change had "no scientific basis" and "unfairly penalized" them for not submitting data.

  • In Spring 2024, Leapfrog used averages from similar hospitals to calculate scores for non-participating hospitals.
  • By Fall 2024, Leapfrog changed its methodology to score non-participating hospitals as "limited achievement," lowering their overall grades.
  • On March 6, 2026, a federal judge ruled in favor of the hospitals and ordered Leapfrog to remove the grades by March 13, 2026.

The players

Leapfrog Group

An independent hospital rating organization that evaluates and publishes patient safety grades for hospitals twice a year.

Palm Beach Health Network

The health system that owns the five hospitals that sued Leapfrog, including Good Samaritan Medical Center, Delray Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.

U.S. District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks

The federal judge who ruled in favor of the Palm Beach Health Network hospitals, agreeing that Leapfrog's scoring changes had "no scientific basis" and "unfairly penalized" the non-participating hospitals.

Heather Havericak

CEO of Delray Medical Center, one of the five Palm Beach Health Network hospitals that sued Leapfrog.

Leah Binder

CEO of Leapfrog Group, who said the judge's order was "outrageous" and that her organization plans to appeal.

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What they’re saying

“Those grades have been very damaging to our hospital and our Palm Beach Health Network.”

— Heather Havericak, CEO of Delray Medical Center (USA TODAY)

“This is just terrible for consumers. Consumers deserve to know what we know, based on expert opinion, about the safety of the hospitals they entrust their lives to.”

— Leah Binder, CEO of Leapfrog Group (USA TODAY)

What’s next

Leapfrog Group plans to appeal the judge's order to remove the safety grades of the five Palm Beach Health Network hospitals.

The takeaway

This ruling highlights the need for transparency and scientific validity in hospital rating systems, as well as the potential for legal challenges from hospitals that feel they have been unfairly scored. Consumers should use caution when relying on a single hospital rating source and instead cross-reference multiple reputable sources when evaluating healthcare providers.