Several Lehigh Valley hospitals have received top safety grades, placing them among Pennsylvania’s highest-rated facilities. In the cited spring 2026 reporting period, 48 of 116 graded Pennsylvania hospitals earned an A, or approximately 41 percent. However, determining whether the Lehigh Valley performs better than Pennsylvania overall requires comparing every eligible local hospital and reviewing additional measures such as infections, surgical complications, readmissions, and patient outcomes.

A strong safety grade does not guarantee that every patient receives appropriate care, and a poor outcome does not automatically establish medical negligence. A Lehigh Valley medical malpractice lawyer can review treatment records, assess the standard of care, and explain your legal rights after preventable harm.

Table of Contents

  • How Safe Are Lehigh Valley Hospitals Compared With Pennsylvania?
  • Which Hospital Safety Measures Matter Most?
  • What Do Statewide Patient Safety Trends Mean for Local Patients?
  • Can a Poor Hospital Safety Rating Prove Medical Malpractice?
  • How Can a Lehigh Valley Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help?
  • Frequently Asked Questions

How Safe Are Lehigh Valley Hospitals Compared With Pennsylvania?

Several Local Hospitals Received Top Safety Grades

Several hospitals serving communities such as Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton received A grades during the cited spring 2026 reporting period. An A places a hospital within the highest category used by the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program. However, that designation reflects selected patient safety measures and does not guarantee that every department, treatment, or patient experience meets the same standard.

Statewide Results Provide an Important Benchmark

Of the 116 Pennsylvania hospitals covered by the survey, 48 received an A, 34 received a B, 33 received a C, and only one hospital received a D. Thus, around 41% of Pennsylvania hospitals received the highest grade. It is helpful to compare your own Lehigh Valley hospital to this list. A local hospital with an A grade is among the best in Pennsylvania. However, it cannot be said with certainty that it represents the best medical care in the area, since 41% of the state’s facilities also received an A.

A Regional Comparison Must Include All Eligible Hospitals

A fair comparison should consider every graded hospital serving the relevant area, not just facilities with strong results. Without a complete count of local hospitals and their grades, it is not possible to determine whether the Lehigh Valley’s overall percentage of A-rated hospitals exceeds the statewide percentage. Patients should also compare individual campuses because hospitals within the same health system may have different safety results.

Which Hospital Safety Measures Matter Most?

Infection Rates Can Reveal Preventable Complications

Hospital-acquired infections can result from surgery, treatment, or medical devices such as catheters and central lines. Public reporting compares the number of infections that actually occur with the number predicted for each hospital based on patient factors and other variables. However, high infection rates do not necessarily mean the hospital or an individual practitioner is not performing their duties diligently.

Readmission Rates Can Highlight Follow-Up Concerns

Readmissions are instances in which patients are sent back to the hospital. They can result from complications, medication errors, or worsening of the patient’s condition. A high readmission rate may raise questions about discharge instructions, follow-up procedures, and communication among providers. On the other hand, readmissions may reflect the severity of the patient’s condition.

Surgical Outcomes Show Another Aspect of Patient Safety

Surgical safety measures may include complications, infections, unexpected outcomes, and problems requiring additional procedures. Patients should consider whether the available data relates to the specific operation or treatment they are planning. Comparisons are more useful when they account for patient health, procedure complexity, and differences between hospital populations.

What Do Statewide Patient Safety Trends Mean for Local Patients?

Statewide Trends Cannot Identify Negligence in One Case

A statewide increase in medication errors cannot suggest that a particular patient received the wrong dose. Likewise, a hospital’s favorable safety grade cannot indicate that a particular physician did not commit negligence. To establish medical negligence, it is essential to consider the patient’s medical records, treatment course, and circumstances.

Can a Poor Hospital Safety Rating Prove Medical Malpractice?

A Safety Grade Does Not Establish Liability

A low-grade hospital does not necessarily indicate that a certain medical practitioner committed malpractice. Similarly, even a hospital with an A grade can be accused of failing to provide adequate service to a patient. The patient’s case determines whether medical practitioners are guilty.

The Applicable Standard of Care Must Be Evaluated

Medical malpractice claims usually focus on a healthcare provider’s failure to meet the standard of care. Issues might arise in a medical practitioner’s diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or failure to diagnose situations, surgical errors, medication errors, lack of proper monitoring or response to a medical condition, or failure to act appropriately after receiving test results. An expert’s opinion may be needed in order to conclude what the standard of care should have been.

Preventable Harm Must Be Connected to the Error

In most cases, a patient must prove that the error actually caused additional harm or aggravated an existing condition. Additional harm may include, for example, infection, additional hospitalization, the need for further surgery, disability, or the like. A poor result unrelated to a medical error may not support a personal injury claim.

How Can a Lehigh Valley Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help?

Gather Medical Records and Build a Treatment Timeline

A malpractice investigation usually starts by collecting documents like hospital records, emergency notes, medication instructions, lab results, imaging data, and discharge papers. The timeline can clarify what happened and provide relevant information for an insurance claim. Follow-up records, medical expenses, and lost wages may also help document how the injury affected the patient.

Investigate Whether Negligent Care Caused Additional Harm

A lawyer can review potential treatment errors and determine how the statute of limitations may affect the claim. The investigation can show whether the error was preventable and provide evidence relevant to a potential settlement. Doctors can also address the standard of care, resulting harm, and losses relevant to compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Safe Are Lehigh Valley Hospitals Compared With Pennsylvania?

Several Lehigh Valley hospitals received A safety grades during the cited reporting period, placing them among Pennsylvania’s highest-rated facilities. Statewide, 48 of 116 graded hospitals earned an A, or approximately 41 percent. However, determining whether the region performs better than Pennsylvania overall requires reviewing all eligible local hospitals and additional safety measures.

What Does an A Hospital Safety Grade Mean?

An A means the hospital received the highest possible letter grade under the hospital safety grading system for the period covered by the report. The grade is based on several factors related to potential negative patient outcomes and the measures the hospital takes to reduce them. It does not necessarily mean every possible treatment, department, or individual case is free from complications.

Which Hospital Safety Measures Should Patients Compare?

Patients should consider infection rates, surgical complications, readmissions, medication practices, patient outcomes, and communication. Most importantly, the type of treatment or procedure will dictate which measure is the most relevant. Also, patients should bear in mind that several indicators present a more complete picture than a single letter grade.