Western Washington hospital is one of best in US at treating kids. Here’s why
A Western Washington children’s hospital is among the best options for pediatric care in the country.
That’s according to The Leapfrog Group, which put MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma on its list of the top children’s hospitals nationwide.
The national nonprofit organization grades hospitals across the country twice a year “based on their ability to protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections.”
It also honors a select number of medical care facilities annually as top hospitals.
The “top hospital” designation is “one of the most competitive honors” a facility can receive for patient safety and quality care, The Leapfrog Group said in a news release on Monday, Dec. 15.
Here’s what to know:
Why is Tacoma children’s hospital among best in US?
MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, 317 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Tacoma, has been named a top children’s hospital six times in eight years, hospital officials said in a news release.
“Quality and safety is a strategic priority for everyone — our staff and providers, our leadership and our board,” Jeff Poltawsky, president and market leader of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network, said in the Monday, Dec. 15, release.
“I’m incredibly proud of our teams for putting patient safety first and for prioritizing quality every day,” Poltawsky said.
The Pierce County hospital is part of the MultiCare health system, which has locations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
A total of 15 children’s hospitals across the nation earned the “top hospitals” designation from The Leapfrog Group in 2025. They include medical centers in California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
“Mary Bridge Children’s has distinguished itself through an unwavering focus on safety and quality, earning a place on this year’s list of Top Hospitals,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in the release.
“This recognition reflects a culture of transparency and continuous improvement — one embraced by every member of the organization,” Binder said. “We commend the entire team at Mary Bridge Children’s for reaching this outstanding milestone.”
Where are other top hospitals in Washington state?
A total of 156 hospitals in the United States were named “top hospitals” in 2025, The Leapfrog Group said.
Honorees were split into four categories: children’s hospitals, general hospitals, rural hospitals and teaching hospitals.
Three other Washington hospitals also earned “top” designations in their categories, according to The Leapfrog Group:
- MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley: General hospital
- St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood: Teaching hospital
- Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle: Teaching hospital
How did The Leapfrog Group come up with Top Hospitals designation?
The Leapfrog Group collects data from hospitals on everything from medication practices to staffing through surveys.
The “highest-performing hospitals on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey are recognized annually” via the “top” designation, The Leapfrog Group said on its website.
The designation “is not given to a set number of hospitals but rather to all teaching, general, rural and children’s hospitals that meet the high standards defined in each year’s top hospital methodology,” The Leapfrog Group said.
The Leapfrog Group’s methodology for rating children’s hospitals ranges from having specially-trained doctors managing care for ICU patients to meeting or making progress toward meeting billing ethics standards.
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