South LA hospital earns top award in patient safety, quality and more
LOS ANGELES (November 13, 2025) — Martin Luther King Jr., Community Hospital has earned a Fall 2025 “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit focused on patient safety. This marks the sixth consecutive grade “A” for the hospital since 2019 and designates it as a “Straight-A” hospital—a distinction given to those that have earned five or more consecutive A grades.
"We’re proud to be recognized regularly for our commitment to safe, high-quality care,” said MLKCH CEO Dr. Elaine Batchlor. “It reflects the dedication of our entire team to doing what’s right for our patients.”
Martin Luther King Jr., Community Hospital is the anchor institution of MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH), a private, nonprofit health system in South Los Angeles. The 131-bed facility provides award-winning acute and emergency care through innovative, equity-focused models.
The Leapfrog Group assigns an "A" through "F" grade to general hospitals across the country based on measures representing a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm. Its hospital grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“My sincere congratulations to MLK Community Healthcare for upholding patient safety standards through thick and thin, achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade for six consecutive rounds of the Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Consistently earning an A demonstrates a long-term, organization-wide commitment to putting patient safety first.”
Since opening in 2015, MLKCH has earned multiple awards and distinctions for its commitment to quality care, including a HIMMS level 7 rating for its use of health information technology and a five-star rating for quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
To see MLKCH’s Leapfrog grade details and access hospital safety tips for patients, please visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and search for “Martin Luther King Jr., Community Hospital.”
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ABOUT MLK COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
MLK Community Healthcare is an award-winning nonprofit, safety-net hospital and health system serving 1.3 million residents in South Los Angeles. Since opening in 2015, MLKCH has offered emergency and inpatient services through its 131-bed hospital, as well as primary and specialty care through the MLK Community Medical Group, with practice sites in locations throughout South LA. MLKCH also offers community health education and outreach to improve the health of our community.
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 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.