Alongside an update to its 2026 ratings, national nonprofit Leapfrog Group announced Monday the launch of an expanded ambulatory service center (ASC) reporting program.
The expanded Leapfrog ASC Public Reporting Program, first unveiled in April, reports safety and quality information for facilities nationwide. More than 3,900 ASCs are now included in the 2026 ratings, along with more than 2,400 hospitals—which the nonprofit says is the highest level of participation in its 26-year history.
"It took more than two decades to get here, but this record participation confirms that transparency is now the norm in American healthcare—and declining to be transparent is the exception," said Leah Binder, Leapfrog President and CEO, in a statement. "Of all the quality and safety reporting facilities do, Leapfrog is the only program for the express purpose of public transparency. We thank these hospitals and ASCs for their leadership and accountability."
The group says hundreds of ASCs voluntarily participated this year through verification information, submitting the Leapfrog ASC Survey 2.0, or both.
"Ambulatory surgery centers account for the majority of surgeries in the United States, yet patients have historically had limited information about their safety and quality," said Missy Danforth, senior vice president of health care ratings at The Leapfrog Group. "We applaud the ambulatory surgery centers that are embracing transparency by voluntarily sharing data with Leapfrog. By publicly reporting more data on more ASCs than ever before, Leapfrog is helping patients compare their options and encouraging facilities to demonstrate their commitment to safe, high-quality care."
The nonprofit first launched its ASC Public Reporting Program in 2019, though the recent expansion marks three new elements: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reporting, accreditation standards and the ASC Survey 2.0.
Publicly reported results are updated monthly to reflect the latest available data, the organization says.
Hospitals and ASCs can submit data through Nov. 30, which is the late submission deadline for the 2026 survey and ASC reporting program.
As overall participation in Leapfrog's process hits an all-time high, the group does have hundreds of hospitals it does not grade because they did not voluntarily submit quality and safety data—part of the fallout of a judge's order to withhold grades for some Tenet hospitals that contested the process. Leapfrog has since launched a "full transparency badge" to reward facilities that participate in its surveys.