The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and The Leapfrog Group have named 37 hospitals across 14 states as 2026 Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes, highlighting organizations that have demonstrated excellence in the care of hospitalized patients with diabetes.

The annual recognition program evaluates hospitals on how effectively they manage diabetes throughout a patient's hospital stay, from admission through discharge. Criteria include evidence-based protocols for blood glucose monitoring, hypoglycemia prevention, perioperative diabetes management, insulin and meal planning, discharge preparation, and broader patient safety measures. Hospitals are also assessed on how consistently they implement these practices in real-world care.

According to the ADA, approximately 8 million people with diabetes are hospitalized each year, placing them at increased risk for complications such as severe hypoglycemia, amputations, coma, and death if their condition is not managed appropriately. The recognition program is designed to encourage hospitals to adopt standardized, evidence-based inpatient diabetes care aligned with the ADA's Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 and Leapfrog's hospital safety standards.

"People with diabetes face unique risks when they are hospitalized," said Osagie Ebekozien, M.D., M.P.H., the ADA's chief quality officer. "Moving evidence-based standards of care into practice is the cornerstone of improving health outcomes and the lives of those living with diabetes."

For healthcare leaders, the recognition underscores the growing emphasis on standardized inpatient quality measures, multidisciplinary care coordination, and patient safety protocols as health systems seek to improve outcomes for people living with diabetes.