MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A report card released in early November doesn’t paint a pretty picture for most hospitals in the Mid-South.
A group called Leapfrog released a host of grades for hospitals across the area, only giving an A to Methodist Olive Branch. Regional One received a C grade. Kamay Houston spoke to FOX13 about the difficult labor she experienced at Regional One when birthing her first child.
“I started experiencing symptoms that didn’t feel normal. It was later discovered my incision wasn’t closed properly,” Houston told FOX13.
Houston said that doctors at Regional One rushed her into an emergency C-section.
“My baby ended up getting meconium aspiration,” she said. “She had to stay in the NICU a week to help her breathe.”
Weeks later, her pain became unbearable.
“My stomach was hurting so bad, to the point it was making me throw up,” she said.
When paramedics took her to St. Francis, doctors discovered what was wrong.
“They told me my incision was not closed up all the way, and that’s what was causing all the pain I have been having,” Houston told FOX13. “I called the hospital, tried to file a complaint. They didn’t really say anything.”
Regional One responded to Leapfrog’s C grade, saying, “At Regional One Health we continually review practices and policies to ensure our patients receive efficient, high-quality care. Where we see room for improvement, we make changes and implement new protocols. Leapfrog scores are a snapshot in time looking back at statistics from up to three years past. We continually look forward seeking to make any improvements needed as we strive to provide efficient, high-quality care our patients deserve.”
Four Mid-South hospitals fell even lower on the grade scale. St. Francis Bartlett received a D, as did Bartlett Collierville and Baptist Memphis, while St. Francis Memphis received an F.
St. Francis responded to those grades with the following statement:
“The Leapfrog Group’s dangerous and misleading safety grades inflict substantial and immeasurable harm on our community hospitals, our patients, and the public.
Leapfrog’s business model relies on hospitals participating in its annual survey to drive revenue. Over the past year, Leapfrog has deliberately changed its Hospital Safety Grade scoring methodology to punish hospitals that decline to participate in its survey—without scientific basis or expert report, and instead for commercial reasons. The result is a system built on inaccurate data and pressure tactics that mislead the public and damage hospitals’ reputations. These rankings benefit only Leapfrog, at the expense of patients and the broader healthcare system.
We are unwavering in our commitment to improving patient safety and delivering the highest quality care; however, these false ratings undermine the vital trust between doctors, hospitals, and patients that is essential to achieving positive health outcomes. We stand with our sister hospitals, which earlier this year filed a complaint in Florida challenging The Leapfrog Group’s dangerous and misleading rankings under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.”
Baptist Response
A spokesperson for Baptist told FOX13, “Providing quality care is our top priority, as is evidenced by the many quality awards and recognitions, our hospitals have received. In 2025-2026, U.S. News & World Report named Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis the Best Hospital in Memphis (in a tie with another local hospital) and Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto as a High Performing Hospital in six categories, among many other honors and recognition for care. Baptist Collierville has been recognized as a quality leader for hip, knee and spine care. We also consider other quality rating sources and focus on continuous improvement to help ensure we’re consistently providing quality care. We encourage patients to consider all quality standards and measures available to them from publicly reported sources along with the services and expertise of each hospital in making decisions about their care. We are proud of the care we provide and our team of caregivers who save countless lives daily.”
Methodist Response
And Methodist reacted to the grades by saying, “At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, our highest priority is delivering safe, high-quality care and creating exceptional experiences for every patient and family we serve. The recently released Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades provide one of several perspectives on how hospitals are advancing key initiatives focused on reducing preventable harm, enhancing bedside practices and elevating the patient experience. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report recognized Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare as the highest-ranked system in the Memphis Metro area and tied for second in Tennessee – a direct reflection of the commitment of our team members and providers. Our goal remains clear: excellence for every person who entrusts us with their care. We are fully committed to strengthening quality and safety every day, in every hospital.”
You can look up any hospital’s score yourself here.
For Houston, the numbers matter, but so does patient treatment.
“People die from stuff like this… You can’t just be sending us home, and we telling y’all it’s something going on, and y’all still discharging us.”
FOX13 reached out to Regional One about Houston’s case. At the time this story was published, FOX13 had not received a response.
Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.
Trending stories: