Some of the most exceptional care in the country is delivered close to home, in the community hospitals that serve as trusted anchors for neighborhoods, towns and regions across America.
Becker’s is proud to release the 2026 edition of its “Great Community Hospitals” list, celebrating the institutions that bring accessible, affordable, high-quality care to patients beyond the reach of large urban health systems. These hospitals, whether nestled in a rural county or at the heart of a suburban community, share a common mission of connecting communities to the care they deserve.
To identify these standout institutions, Becker’s editorial team drew on nominations alongside insights from respected evaluators like U.S. News & World Report, Healthgrades, CMS, The Leapfrog Group, the National Rural Health Association and the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
Note: Organizations do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of the organizations mentioned. Organizations are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Sponsored by:
Community Hospital Corporation owns, manages and consults with hospitals through CHC Hospitals, CHC Consulting and CHC ContinueCARE, to collaborate with partners and bring innovative solutions to support the vibrancy and accessibility of community healthcare.
AdventHealth Fish Memorial (Orange City, Fla.). This 257-bed community hospital serves West Volusia County in Florida with a focus on high-quality, compassionate care. Part of Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth, a faith-based health system, it has supported the region for more than 30 years, expanding alongside rapid population growth to meet increasing demand. The hospital provides a broad range of care, including heart, brain, spine, orthopedic, cancer and surgical care, supported by advanced technology such as robotic-assisted procedures that can help reduce recovery time. A recent patient tower addition expanded capacity with private patient rooms, a new intensive care unit and enhanced women’s services, including the area’s only private birthing suites, designed to support comfort, safety and family connection. AdventHealth Fish Memorial is recognized for consistent performance in quality and safety, earning a CMS 5-star overall hospital quality rating and Leapfrog “A” safety grades for 21 consecutive reporting periods, along with national recognition from Vizient, Forbes and Premier. Beyond its clinical care, the hospital works closely with local partners to address broader health needs, with a focus on mental health, substance use, access to resources and food insecurity. These efforts reflect a commitment to improving health outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of the community it serves.
AdventHealth Winter Garden (Fla.). AdventHealth Winter Garden, an 80-bed acute-care hospital, is committed to delivering whole-person, community-focused care. It offers a wide range of services including emergency care, advanced robotic surgery, orthopedic and sports medicine care, women’s health services, surgical care and primary and specialty physician practices. As the campus continues to grow, admissions have increased 12% since 2025 and surgical volumes have risen across key service lines. Construction is underway on the AdventHealth Cancer Institute at Winter Garden, a three-story facility that will bring radiation oncology, medical oncology, infusion, surgical subspecialties and personalized treatment plans closer to home. The hospital is also expanding its patient tower to include progressive care beds and will introduce labor and delivery services featuring dedicated labor, delivery and recovery rooms, postpartum beds and space for a future level 2 neonatal ICU. Along with a new freestanding emergency department being built in Ocoee, Fla., these investments strengthen a connected network of care designed to support the health and wellbeing of every person across West Orange County. AdventHealth Winter Garden has earned an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group.
Adventist Health Clear Lake (Clearlake, Calif.). Adventist Health Clear Lake is a high-performing rural critical access hospital and clinic network serving Lake County and surrounding communities in one of California’s most geographically dispersed and medically underserved areas. The hospital has advanced a high-reliability framework across departments and holds a CMS 5-star rating for cleanliness for 2024–25 and a CMS overall 5-star rating from 2022. It has appeared on the Cal Hospital Compare “Maternity Care Honor Roll” for seven consecutive years and earned a Cal Hospital Compare “Patient Safety Honor Roll” designation in 2024. To expand access in a region where transportation barriers frequently delay care, the hospital recently launched a rapid care program for same-day non-emergency services, a mobile shower trailer program that connects individuals experiencing homelessness to care teams, and a mobile dental clinic providing preventive and restorative services directly in the community. Looking ahead, the hospital is investing in workforce development through a community health worker training partnership and certification program with Woodland Community College, building a sustainable pipeline of culturally responsive care coordinators to serve the region long term.
Adventist Health Howard Memorial (Willits, Calif.). Adventist Health Howard Memorial is a faith-based, nonprofit community hospital serving rural communities, where it has been the sole provider of hospital services for nearly a century. In the most recent fiscal year, the hospital admitted 1,272 patients, performed 1,562 surgeries, and treated more than 14,000 patients in its emergency department, with its on-campus Redwood Medical Clinic recording more than 21,000 visits. The hospital has achieved 100% of Healthcare Quality Improvement Program metrics, earned a CMS 5-star rating, and was named to the Forbes “Top Hospitals” list for 2026. The hospital also earned geriatric emergency department certification and has been recognized on Cal Hospital Compare’s “Opioid Care Honor Roll for Superior Performance,” and Healthgrades named it among the “100 Best Hospitals in the U.S. for Orthopedics.” Its expanding specialty network includes cardiology, orthopedics, women’s health, pediatrics, addiction medicine and diabetes education, allowing patients to receive care locally without traveling to urban centers.
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (Calif.). With nearly 70 years of service, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley is a 51-bed acute care facility and regional hub for high-quality, accessible healthcare serving underserved populations in rural Mendocino County, operating a network of 21 outpatient clinics and recording more than 3,800 surgeries and more than 124,000 clinic visits annually. It is the region’s only level 4 trauma center and the only Joint Commission-certified primary stroke center, and its emergency department, which sees approximately 30,000 visits per year, has earned geriatric emergency department accreditation. The hospital earned a Leapfrog hospital safety grade of “A” in 2025, a CMS 5-star rating, and Joint Commission primary stroke center certification. It recently launched a robotic-assisted surgical program featuring the da Vinci 5 system, bringing minimally invasive surgical capabilities to rural patients who previously would have needed to travel long distances. The hospital’s street medicine program delivers care directly to individuals experiencing homelessness, complemented by the “COMPASS” program providing care coordination and navigation for vulnerable patients. Its family medicine residency program, now welcoming its eighth cohort since launching in 2019, creates a sustainable pipeline of providers more likely to remain in rural communities.
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital is home to the only level 1 trauma center in DuPage County, Ill., serving as a regional destination for high-acuity and specialty care in Chicago’s western suburbs. The 313-bed hospital offers a comprehensive range of services, including oncology, gastroenterology, behavioral health, orthopedics, and general and trauma services, alongside a bariatric surgery program and healthy lifestyle workshops that provide nutrition education and fresh produce to patients in need. The hospital is a leader in complex cardiovascular care, offering minimally invasive procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement and the Watchman procedure. Its robotic bronchoscopy program has completed more than 100 cases, enabling earlier lung cancer detection through precise biopsies in hard-to-reach areas. In orthopedics, robotic-assisted technology allows surgeons to build three-dimensional, personalized surgical plans and make real-time adjustments, resulting in more natural-feeling joint replacements and quicker recoveries. The hospital has earned Magnet recognition for nursing excellence and ranks No. 17 in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report, with high-performing designations across eight adult procedures and conditions.
Allina Health New Ulm (Minn.) Medical Center. Allina Health New Ulm Medical Center is a nonprofit community hospital serving communities in south central Minnesota, offering more than 70 affiliated physicians and advanced practice providers alongside a full complement of visiting specialists. The 34-bed hospital provides a wide range of services including inpatient, outpatient and emergency care, as well as specialty programs such as a birth center, Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, home and palliative care, the Allina Health Cancer Institute and a level 4 trauma center. New Ulm Medical Center has been named one of the “Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals” in the U.S. by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for the 13th time and has earned the Vizient “Bernard A. Birnbaum Quality and Accountability Award.” The hospital has been recognized by CMS ratings as among the top recommended hospitals in every state. Workforce development is a priority, with the hospital operating a “scrub club” for high school and college students and offering five healthcare career scholarships annually. A pilot program recently gave eight New Ulm High School seniors the opportunity to rotate monthly through departments including radiology, oncology, the birth center, pharmacy and the lab.
Allina Health River Falls (Wis.) Area Hospital. Allina Health River Falls Area Hospital is a 25-bed nonprofit critical access hospital in western Wisconsin providing comprehensive care from disease prevention to advanced diagnostic and treatment services. The hospital has earned CMS 5-star inpatient experience recognition, placing it among only 273 hospitals in the U.S. and 25 in Wisconsin to achieve that designation, and has achieved Wisconsin Hospital Association “Checkpoint Top Performer” status across multiple quality and safety categories. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety culture survey composite measure averaged 81% positive, up from 68% in 2021. River Falls Area Hospital has been continuously named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by Chartis. The hospital is in its 10th year hosting the Project SEARCH transition-to-work program in partnership with the River Falls School District, offering job training and competitive employment opportunities to local individuals with developmental disabilities. It has also grown its swing bed and transitional care program significantly, demonstrating the ability to transition most patients no longer needing acute-level service back to their homes.
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital (McMinnville, Tenn.). Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital is a 125-bed, full-service hospital serving as the largest of Ascension Saint Thomas’s regional facilities, providing 24/7 emergency care with a medical staff representing 26 specialties. In the past fiscal year, the hospital recorded 23,539 emergency visits and performed 1,741 surgeries, and has invested $9.13 million in community benefits, contributions that have exceeded $63 million over the past decade. Recent capital improvements, made possible through a $15.2 million investment funded in part by a $7.6 million state grant matched by Ascension Saint Thomas, have nearly doubled the emergency department from 12 to 21 beds and modernized both a new 12-bed ICU and an additional 10-bed inpatient unit on the same floor. The hospital has also introduced telemedicine stroke services and robotic-assisted surgical technology, and restored acute dialysis care to the McMinnville community. Ascension Saint Thomas River Park holds a CMS 5-star rating and an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, and has been named to Newsweek‘s list of “America’s Best-in-State Hospitals” for 2026, ranking in the top 10 in Tennessee.
Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains, N.J.). Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center is a 260-bed hospital with more than 1,400 team members and over 900 physicians offering advanced specialty services, including heart care, weight loss surgery, orthopedics and a leading-edge brain tumor center, as well as the region’s only combined pediatric emergency and hospital care center. Its baby-friendly USA-designated maternity center offers all-private suites, high-risk pregnancy services and a special care nursery, and the breast center serves more than 16,000 patients each year with a full continuum of preventive, diagnostic and support services. Recent expansions include the opening of the Wayne Health Pavilion Ambulatory Center in Wayne, N.J., offering outpatient rehabilitation, laboratory services and orthopedic specialty care, with additional state-of-the-art imaging, women’s and urgent care services planned. The hospital also added a second cath/interventional radiology laboratory to expand its capabilities. The hospital was named one of Healthgrades’ “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” for the fourth consecutive year and received the organization’s 2026 “Patient Safety Excellence Award,” placing it among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as high-performing in maternity care for 2026.
Atlantic Health Newton (N.J.) Medical Center. Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center is a fully-accredited acute care hospital serving counties in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York since 1932, and functions as the only emergency department in Sussex County. The hospital’s Newton Medical Center Foundation automated external defibrillator program has distributed more than 1,150 AEDs to the community, trained more than 7,100 individuals and aided in saving more than 88 lives since 2001. A $3.5 million Foundation investment recently funded the renovation of the maternity wing, with 17 newly designed private suites, and upgrades to the behavioral health patient unit and ICU. Since the launch of its percutaneous coronary intervention program in 2020, the catheterization lab has performed more than 100 percutaneous coronary interventions for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients. Healthgrades named the hospital among “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care and Critical Care” for the third consecutive year in 2024–2026. The hospital also received Healthgrades’ “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care” designation in 2026, as well as the “Specialty Excellence Award” for that service for the second year in a row. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as high-performing for both maternity care and stroke in 2026.
Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center (Summit, N.J.). Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center is a 513-bed hospital and home to the Atlantic Neuroscience Institute, which was designated the first comprehensive stroke center in New Jersey. The institute is recognized as a national leader in spine and neuroscience care, including clinical trials and research into vaccine-based brain tumor treatment. In January 2025, the hospital completed the East Building, a three-story expansion housing a modernized Frank & Mimi Walsh Maternity Center with triple the number of private rooms, a new neuroscience super-unit, an updated critical care unit and a new cardiology unit. The hospital has also pioneered numerous regional firsts, including the first in New Jersey to use GE HealthCare’s StarGuide SPECT/CT in 2026 and the first in the U.S. to offer telestroke in an ambulance. The hospital has been named one of “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” by Healthgrades for seven consecutive years and one of the “World’s Best Hospitals” by Newsweek for eight consecutive years, and was ranked No. 3 in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025–26 “Best Hospital” rankings. Castle Connolly named the hospital a “Gold Standard Hospital” in 2026, an honor given to only 38 hospitals nationally. The hospital achieved Magnet with distinction recognition for the first time in April 2025, making it one of only 58 hospitals in the country to do so. The Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center has earned the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer “Outstanding Achievement Award.”
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center (North Wilkesboro, N.C.). Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center is a 130-bed rural community hospital that serves as the primary source of inpatient, emergency and specialty care for Wilkes County and surrounding communities in the state. The hospital has demonstrated leadership in preserving and expanding essential services in a rural setting, strengthening its obstetrics program to ensure families can receive high-quality maternity care close to home and establishing new cancer services with access to clinical trials. A new hematology and oncology clinic, part of Wake Forest Baptist’s comprehensive cancer center network, offers on-site chemotherapy infusion, laboratory, pharmacy and PET imaging services, along with access to the latest treatments, which significantly broadens options for local patients. Through offsite facilities, the medical center has expanded outpatient services to include a dialysis center, a state-of-the-art radiation center, a diagnostic imaging center and a wound healing center. The hospital has expanded behavioral health programming, including peer support specialists, to better meet growing mental health needs, and has enhanced the use of virtual care and specialty consults to improve timely access to expert services while minimizing travel burdens. Wilkes Medical Center has been named a Leapfrog “Top Rural Hospital” and was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.”
Augusta Health (Fishersville, Va.). Augusta Health is a 255-bed independent community hospital with 3,000 employees, and is the largest local private employer in the census-designated place. The hospital serves as a model of rural healthcare excellence through its focus on health equity, patient safety and community-centered programs. The hospital’s neighborhood clinics initiative, launched in September 2022, expanded to 14 unique sites per month and provided more than 1,700 primary care visits to 825 patients in its first full year, targeting geographic and socioeconomic barriers. In March 2025, Augusta Health secured $600,000 in donations to fund a new mobile medical unit for the program, addressing care access for unhoused residents and those without reliable transportation. The hospital was designated a diagnostic imaging center of excellence by the American College of Radiology and recognized by Healthgrades as one of “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement” and one of “America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Surgical Care.” The hospital also earned an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group consistently from 2020-25, and in 2024 was one of only two national recipients of the CMS “Health Equity Award” for reducing disparities in healthcare access, quality and outcomes. That same year, Augusta Health received the American Hospital Association’s “Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award,” and its heart and vascular center became the first hospital in Virginia to receive the American College of Cardiology “National Distinction of Excellence” designation.
Aurora Medical Center–Grafton (Wis.). Aurora Medical Center–Grafton has steadily expanded access to higher-acuity and specialty services since its inception in 2010, strengthening its role as a regional referral destination for southeastern Wisconsin. The 132-bed hospital holds designations in trauma care, stroke care and breast health, and is a center of excellence for robotic thoracic surgery offering minimally invasive, robotic-assisted treatment for prostate cancer, thoracic and general surgery. The hospital is the only one in Wisconsin with a “green” medical center design, intentionally built to support healing through efficient, patient-focused spaces. The hospital is also a leader in comprehensive women’s health services, including the highest-level neonatal intensive care unit, a level 2 neonatal ICU, in Ozaukee County. A new 125,000-square-foot, multi-floor patient tower is under construction, set for completion in 2028, that will add 84 additional private patient suites and an expanded emergency department to meet rising demand across southeastern Wisconsin. The hospital has earned a CMS 5-star rating, an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as high performing across 11 adult procedures and conditions including stroke, pacemaker implantation and knee replacement. Aurora Grafton was also named among Newsweek‘s “World’s Best Hospitals” for 2026 and recognized by Forbes as a 2026 “Top 5 Star Hospital.”
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital (Yankton, S.D.). Avera Sacred Heart Hospital is a comprehensive community hospital and one of only 11 hospitals in the nation to have been named a Chartis Center for Rural Health “Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital” every year the list has been released. The hospital appeared in the top 20 in 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026. Founded in 1897, the hospital offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care, women’s services including labor and delivery, same-day and inpatient surgery, imaging, therapy and rehabilitation, and a 24/7 emergency department. In June 2026, the hospital completed a $17 million renovation project creating a new Avera Cancer Institute location at the Avera Fox Run Health Campus in Yankton, consolidating medical oncology, radiation oncology, chemotherapy infusion, clinical research, genetic counseling and support services under one roof. Also in April 2026, the hospital added a da Vinci robotic surgical system, expanding minimally invasive surgical capabilities for patients in the region. Avera Sacred Heart received $1.15 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2025 to establish a behavioral health career pathway model for middle and high school students in partnership with Mount Marty University, Yankton Public Schools and Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services.
Banner Desert Medical Center (Mesa, Ariz.). A large, comprehensive hospital campus serving the Phoenix-metropolitan with 3,600 employees, 1,900 medical staff, 500 volunteers and $1 billion in annual net revenue, Banner Desert Medical Center is home to one of the nation’s busiest emergency departments with 113,000 visits, separate waiting rooms for adults and children, a nationally recognized chest pain center and level 1 trauma center. The campus also houses Banner Children’s at Desert, a seven-story, 260-bed pediatric hospital that leads in several specialties, comprising a pediatric integrative cancer center and a large 76-bed neonatal ICU. Adjacent to the children’s hospital is the newly built 148-bed, seven-story Women’s Tower, providing among the most comprehensive medical, surgical and maternity care in the state. Significant growth in adult and pediatric programs has resulted in impressive clinical outcomes, increased market share and the ability to receive a lifetime of care at one location, especially important to families and for children with chronic conditions. Banner Desert’s commitment to graduate medical education has resulted in a greatly expanded program to add more residents and fellows. Continued campus and service line expansion addresses critical community needs in the rapidly growing East Valley, where the population grew from 900,000 residents in 2006 to more than 1.5 million today.
Banner Estrella Medical Center (Phoenix). With a goal of providing community care close to home, the 353-bed Banner Estrella Medical Center serves over 82,000 patients a year in its emergency department and delivers over 5,400 babies annually. Its robust women’s health program includes a level 3A high risk obstetric and neonatal service. The largest hospital in West Phoenix has nearly completed a $35 million expansion that includes advanced, state-of-the-art surgical, cardiovascular and obstetrical care services, as well as increased acute care bed capacity to support the growing need for inpatient care. The ever-expanding cardiology program’s structural heart program has recently added the inclusion of left atrial appendage closure procedures, also known as Watchman, to support the growing needs of the community. In collaboration with Banner Medical Group, Banner Estrella launched a primary care and orthopedic practice in Goodyear, Ariz. last fall, with the intention to expand into cardiology this year at that location. The weight loss program remains certified by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, making Banner Estrella a destination for weight loss management, including bariatric surgeries. The hospital earned its third Magnet hospital designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Banner Wyoming Medical Center (Casper). As Wyoming’s largest hospital, this 249-bed community facility serves 250,000 people within a 150-mile radius. It is located in the geographic center of the rural state, where transportation challenges due to weather are common, and health services and specialists in many surrounding communities are minimal. The hospital and associated clinics continually add and enhance sophisticated services and successfully recruit dozens of primary care providers and high-level specialists to ensure state residents access to high-quality care without leaving the state. It achieved Wyoming’s only American College of Surgeons level 2 trauma center status, expanded telestroke access to nine sites across the state, and maintains American Heart and Stroke Associations “Gold Plus Stroke Award” and Joint Commission primary stroke center status. Banner Health committed $70 million in capital improvements at the facility, including a comprehensive maintenance and upgrade plan and a new $7.3 million electrophysiology lab, the first such services in central Wyoming. The medical center opened central Wyoming’s first lung nodule early diagnosis and treatment program. This multidisciplinary collaboration addresses the state’s high rate of late-stage lung cancer. Care coordinated through an RN navigator promotes early detection and treatment using interventional pulmonology technology. Banner also opened its East Campus, a 35-bed acute licensed facility, as an orthopedic surgical hospital with outpatient lab and imaging.
Baptist Health Doctors Hospital (Coral Gables, Fla.). Baptist Health Doctors Hospital is a 281-bed acute care facility delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for more than 75 years and recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet designation since 2019. U.S. News & World Report has designated the hospital as high-performing in several specialties, including geriatrics, orthopedics, pulmonary and lung surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip fracture, hip replacement, kidney failure, knee replacement and pneumonia. The hospital holds a 5-star quality and performance rating from CMS and has earned a Leapfrog hospital safety grade of “A.” It is also home to the Miami HEAT Sports Medicine Center and serves as a central hub for Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, integrating clinical care, rehabilitation and performance services in a 49,000-square-foot facility. In 2025, Baptist Health Foundation received a $1 million gift dedicated to upgrading and renovating surgical facilities, enabling the hospital to expand its surgical environment and incorporate advanced technologies. The hospital continues to advance minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgical techniques across multiple specialties, reducing recovery times and improving outcomes.
Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital (Miami). Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital is a 203-bed community hospital that has served as a critical access point for residents of West Kendall and surrounding communities since opening in 2011, providing comprehensive services including 24/7 emergency care, maternity services, robotic-assisted and minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, diagnostic imaging, interventional radiology services and physical therapy and rehabilitation. The hospital is built to withstand category five hurricane winds and was designed with future expansion in mind, representing a model for disaster-ready healthcare infrastructure in South Florida. In partnership with Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the hospital hosts a family medicine residency program providing hands-on training for future physicians. The hospital has earned three consecutive Magnet designations for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, placing it among a select group of healthcare organizations nationwide. U.S. News & World Report has recognized the hospital as high-performing in geriatrics, orthopedics, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip fracture, kidney failure and pneumonia, and CMS awarded it a 5-star quality rating. Healthgrades recognized West Kendall Baptist with three 2026 awards: “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care,” “Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence” and “Stroke Care Excellence.”
Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas (Beaumont). Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas is a faith-based community health system that has served the Beaumont community since 1949. Serving seven counties in Southeast Texas, it has grown into a 13-campus, 483-bed facility with more than 2,200 employees and a provider network of over 55 physicians and nurse practitioners. The organization holds an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, earned the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” award, and was included among Forbes “Top Hospitals” in 2026 for strong performance across outcomes, best practices, value and patient experience. The Baptist Cancer Network is the only fully accredited oncology program between Houston and Louisiana, holding certifications from the Commission on Cancer, APEx for Radiation Oncology, ACR for Radiology, and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. In early 2026, a $40 million expansion further strengthened those services. The community health system operates the only inpatient behavioral health facility within a 90-mile radius and is expanding to 120 beds over the next three years, supported by $70 million in state funding, in response to a documented 30% rise in regional mental health needs. The organization also operates the only pediatric emergency room in Southeast Texas, staffed 24/7 by nurses specially trained in pediatric emergency care, and offers the only complete structural heart program in Southeast Texas, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement, with four catheterization labs performing more than 3,500 procedures annually. Baptist also supports internal medicine and psychiatry residency programs and a postgraduate year one pharmacy residency.
Baptist Medical Center Beaches (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.). Baptist Medical Center Beaches is a 146-bed, A-rated community hospital that has served the barrier island community since 1988, featuring the area’s only 24-hour emergency department and a 44,000-square-foot surgical pavilion with seven iSuite operating rooms, including a robotic suite. The hospital holds a CMS 5-star rating, has been named to Newsweek‘s “World’s Best Hospitals” list, and earned the Press Ganey “Pinnacle of Excellence Award” for surgical care. Additionally, it has received an “A” safety grade from The Leapfrog Group continuously since 2019. In 2025, the hospital opened a newly renovated, 28,000-square-foot cardiology center featuring a full gamut of outpatient care, including diagnostic testing, rehab and wound care, all under one roof and staffed by eight cardiologists and three electrophysiologists. In 2024, Baptist Beaches unveiled an expanded, state-of-the-art rehabilitation center equipped with a ZeroG Gait and Balance System and an adult pelvic health program. It also offers an accredited sleep center, cardiac catheterization lab, and level 1 designated labor and delivery center. The hospital is Joint Commission certified as a primary stroke center and holds the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.”
Bethesda Hospital (Boynton Beach, Fla.). Bethesda Hospital, part of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health South Florida, is one of Palm Beach County’s most important community-based hospitals, functioning as a teaching hospital through its partnership with Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and home to the Bethesda College of Health Sciences, which trains future nurses and radiographers. In 2024, the hospital unveiled a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab expanding access to advanced interventional, electrophysiology and structural heart procedures in the community. In 2026, donors raised more than $650,000 to support the advancement of cardiac care. In February 2025, Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Bethesda Hospital West performed the first surgery in Florida using a next-generation augmented reality spinal surgery platform. Philanthropic support is also helping fund a planned renovation of the emergency department at Bethesda Hospital East, backed by a $1 million gift. Cancer services from the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute have expanded to Bethesda Health City, with plans to add them at Bethesda Hospital West. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as high-performing in pacemaker implantation surgery and in treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the 2025–2026 rankings, Meanwhile, Healthgrades recognized Bethesda Hospital with “Patient Safety Excellence” and “Surgical Care Excellence” awards.
Bolivar Medical Center (Cleveland, Miss.). Bolivar Medical Center is a 164-bed hospital serving the region’s Delta area, earning an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group in both spring 2025 and spring 2026. The hospital won the 2025 “Platinum Award,” the highest honor in Louisville, Ky.’s ScionHealth’s National Quality Strategy. It is also a top catheter-associated urinary tract infection safety performer, according to CMS ratings. In the past year, Bolivar Medical added numerous providers who strengthened or expanded service lines, including internal medicine and general surgery. The hospital opened its outpatient services center, upgraded MRI capabilities and introduced treatment options for early Alzheimer’s disease. The hospital pays a payroll of more than $25 million, contributes approximately $5 million in local, state and provider taxes, and has provided more than $53 million in charitable and uncompensated care. In July 2025, Bolivar Medical became the only hospital in the region equipped with the Olympus CV-1500 advanced endoscopy imaging system. The hospital also opened the Bolivar Women’s Clinic in late 2024, offering a full range of women’s health services from routine wellness exams to specialized care, and was included in the 2025 Mississippi State Department of Health “Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll” for outstanding commitment to responsible antibiotic use.
Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital (Rocky Mount, Va.). Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital is a growing rural healthcare hub, with more than 325 employees that recorded more than 23,000 emergency department visits in 2025. Over the past several years, the hospital completed a multi-million-dollar expansion and renovation, adding more than 5,000 square feet of space, upgrading recovery rooms and sterile processing areas, launching its first in-house pharmacy, and adding a second ultrasound room that has reduced backlogs and improved emergency department and inpatient wait times. A robotic surgery program introduced in 2024 has driven significant surgical growth, and the hospital now supports more than 25 surgeons. Neurology services have grown from one to four exam rooms with increased electroencephalogram availability and the addition of the region’s first neurology clinic. In early 2026, a new pediatric clinic with on-site lab and radiology services opened on the third floor of the hospital’s medical office building, and a new administrative building and expanded parking have improved patient and visitor access. The hospital’s CMS star ratings rank it among the 391 hospitals with the lowest C. diff rates and among the 705 hospitals patients highly recommend. The hospital has earned a Leapfrog “A” safety grade in 2024 and 2025, holds a CMS 4-star rating, and was named by Forbes as one of “America’s Top Hospitals” for 2026.
Carilion New River Valley Medical Center (Christiansburg, Va.). Carilion New River Valley Medical Center is a 146-bed acute care facility offering advanced imaging, robotic surgery, and multiple surgical and medical specialties, including a level 3 trauma center and the Carilion Clinic Saint Albans Hospital for psychiatry and behavioral medicine. Over the past year, the hospital partnered with a 24/7 obstetric hospitalist program to strengthen care teams and enhance access to emergency obstetric services, and supported four organ donors whose gifts resulted in 11 lives saved, which is the highest number the medical center has experienced in a single year. Carilion Children’s outpatient specialty care has expanded to include child development and pediatric neurology, nearly doubling the size of the clinic to join pediatric cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology in newly renovated space. The hospital’s CMS star rankings place it among the 280 hospitals in the nation with the lowest methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rates for 2025. The American Nurses Credentialing Center recently awarded the hospital its “Pathway to Excellence” designation for the second time, a four-year honor held by only 281 hospitals nationwide and just six in Virginia. The hospital earned a high-performing status for kidney failure in U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Hospitals” rankings for 2025-2026, as well as a CMS overall 4-star hospital rating.
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (Hartsville, S.C.). Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center is a 116-bed hospital holding nine consecutive “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group and earning the Leapfrog “Elite Top General Hospital” designation in both 2023 and 2024, making it one of approximately 30 hospitals nationwide to receive that distinction annually. The hospital earned the “Platinum Award” from Louisville, Ky.-based ScionHealth’s National Quality Strategy for three consecutive years, is the first hospital in South Carolina to achieve disease-specific certification for sepsis from The Joint Commission, and became the first hospital in the state to be designated a “Purple Heart Hospital” in June 2025. Carolina Pines partnered with Coker University to create a nursing school and pipeline program, launched “Project BOLD” to provide student loan forgiveness for new employees who commit to three-year terms, and in 2024 began accepting certified nursing assistant youth apprentices through a partnership with Florence Darlington Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina. The hospital has added 17 new providers over the past two years, opened a multi-specialty center in a nearby town in 2024, and in 2026 introduced percutaneous coronary intervention services, a vascular surgery service line, and the ExcelsiusGPS spinal navigation system.
Carson Valley Health (Gardnerville, Nev.). Carson Valley Health is a non-profit critical access hospital serving the Carson Valley and surrounding areas with six sites, more than 650 employees and a medical staff of more than 100. The hospital made history in 2025 as the first critical access hospital in Nevada designated as a level 4 trauma center, a milestone that also made Nevada the only state west of the Mississippi to have the designation. The hospital has maintained an operating margin above 7%, 290 days cash on hand, debt to capitalization under 25% and annual debt service coverage above 10 times over the past five years. It recently launched a transformative partnership with Siemens Healthineers to implement new state-of-the-art laboratory testing technology, becoming the first hospital in the nation to deploy that specific configuration, significantly enhancing diagnostic capabilities and reducing turnaround times. The hospital completed a three-year, 52,000-square-foot campus expansion in 2024, adding expanded cardiology services including a cardiac catheterization lab, additional operating rooms including gastroenterology suites, all-private inpatient and ICU rooms, and an 8,500-square-foot rehabilitation and outpatient therapy center. In 2025, employees contributed 2,200 hours in community service projects. CMS recently awarded Carson Valley Health its first 5-star Rating, having been a 4-star hospital for the prior two years.
Clara Maass Medical Center (Belleville, N.J.). Founded in 1868, Clara Maass Medical Center is a 472-bed acute care facility that serves residents of four New Jersey counties with a comprehensive array of services including a cancer center, breast health and disease management center, sophisticated cardiac services including CardioMems wireless monitoring, and a level 2 special care nursery. Clara Maass is undertaking a $4.3 million renovation of its cardiac catheterization laboratory and was awarded a $400,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey to fund a Philips Azurion 7 M20 FlexArm imaging system supporting complex cardiac and vascular procedures with high-resolution real-time imaging. The hospital’s center of excellence for Latino health, opened in 2017, serves as a hub of health and wellness information addressing the unmet needs of the local Latino community. Its “Clara Cares” program provides primary care to elderly individuals in senior housing communities, resulting in dramatically reduced hospital admissions and readmission rates, and the WAVE program delivers annual wellness assessments for seniors. The medical center earned a 4-star rating from CMS and has received 12 “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group. It holds Joint Commission “Gold Seal” certifications in congestive heart failure, cardiac rehabilitation, joint replacement, palliative care and primary stroke. Clara Maass is also one of only 101 hospitals in the U.S. named to Money.com’s first-ever “Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery” list.
Colquitt Regional Health System (Moultrie, Ga.). Colquitt Regional Health System is a 155-bed rural hospital that has received 21 consecutive “A” hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group, most recently in fall 2025. Per CMS data, it was one of only 280 hospitals in the nation with a zero MRSA infection rate. In January 2026, the Georgia Hospital Association honored the health system with its “Patient Safety and Quality Award” for its health equity food resources program, which provides non-perishable, diabetic-friendly food items to eligible patients at discharge, along with educational materials and community resource information. The hospital has adopted multiple advanced technologies in recent years, including the da Vinci 5 surgical robot, PET scan services and Aquablation therapy with the HYDROS robotic system for enlarged prostate treatment. It was the first hospital in George to offer the Vibwife birth platform for labor. The hospital has also invested in residency programs in family medicine and psychiatry to prepare physicians for rural and community-based settings. Its “Reaching New Heights in Healthcare” campaign is funding a new medical tower that will increase licensed bed capacity from 99 to 155, projected to add 35 new physicians and create 490 jobs. Colquitt Regional reached the 95th percentile for staff engagement nationally, a measure that directly supports consistent, compassionate patient care.
Encino (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center. Encino Hospital Medical Center is a 148-bed hospital in the San Fernando Valley offering clinical programs across critical care, stroke, gastrointestinal, respiratory and rehabilitation services, alongside specialized programs including gero-psychiatric services for older adults and a multi-specialty outpatient clinic for preventive and specialty consultations. The hospital earned 5-star ratings from Healthgrades for hip fracture treatment for nine consecutive years and has received the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus” and “Stroke Gold Plus” quality achievement awards. In 2026, the Lown Institute awarded Encino Hospital “Grade A” ratings in value of care, patient outcomes, clinical outcomes, pay equity, avoiding overuse and cost efficiency, and the hospital ranked among the top five hospitals in California for pay equity. Encino Hospital holds full accreditation from The Joint Commission in the hospital accreditation program, primary stroke center, and laboratory accreditation program, and is approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as both a stroke center and a pediatrics facility. Most recently, the hospital was honored with a Healthgrades 5-star clinical achievement for hip fracture treatment in October 2025.
Englewood (N.J.) Hospital. Englewood Hospital is a 283-bed community teaching hospital and the flagship of Englewood Health in northern New Jersey, offering advanced inpatient and outpatient services across cardiac surgery, cancer care, orthopedic and spine surgery, vascular surgery, women’s health and robotic surgery since its founding in 1890. Through a partnership with ColumbiaDoctors, the hospital established an advanced heart failure program bringing access to left ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation to Bergen County. The hospital delivers approximately 3,000 babies annually at its Karen and Gary Singer Family Birth Place and offers residency programs in dentistry, internal medicine, nursing, pharmacy and podiatry. The hospital earned its 26th “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group in spring 2026 and has been named a “Top Teaching Hospital” by The Leapfrog Group eight times since 2014, as well as a “Best Regional Hospital” in the New York Metro Area by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026. Englewood Hospital has achieved Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five times since 2002 and received the Healthgrades “Surgical Care Excellence Award” for the third consecutive year in 2026. Englewood Hospital has been recognized by Newsweek as a “Best Hospital for Maternity Care” for five consecutive years and appeared on the magazine’s “Best-in-State Hospitals” list for 2026.
F.F. Thompson Hospital (Canandaigua, N.Y.). F.F. Thompson Hospital is a 113-bed community hospital serving the Finger Lakes region of New York. Founded in 1904, it has grown to include 14 primary care practices, four OB/GYN offices, three urgent cares, two lab draw stations, two outpatient pharmacies, three off-site rehabilitation services locations and an off-site breast imaging center. In 2025, the hospital welcomed 35 physicians and advanced practice providers with no headhunter placement fees, and reduced travel and agency nursing staff to just two hospitalwide, generating substantial cost savings. The hospital recently launched a multimillion-dollar campus improvement plan and installed a GE SIGNA Artist wide-bore 1.5T MRI scanner featuring feet-first imaging to reduce claustrophobia. The hospital is also expanding its birthing center from 10 to 12 labor and delivery rooms. In November 2025, the hospital earned its fifth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and is the only organization in New York to hold the “Excellence in Spiritual Care Award” from the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network. The hospital holds Joint Commission certificates of distinction for hip replacement, knee replacement, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, advanced perinatal care and advanced primary stroke center, and the Surgical Review Corporation designates it a center of excellence for hernia surgery, robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Frederick (Md.) Health. Frederick Health is a 261-bed independent community health system, one of very few in Maryland. It is the sole health system in the largest and fastest-growing county in the state, serving residents for more than 120 years and providing $74 million in community benefits last year. The organization earned a second Magnet designation for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025 and a Leapfrog “A” patient safety grade. In early 2026, Frederick Health became the first healthcare system in the nation to offer the newly FDA-approved tumor treating fields therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer, which is the first FDA-approved advancement for that disease in over 30 years. Simultaneously, the system implemented Impella, the world’s smallest heart pump, which is expected to reduce cardiovascular patient transfers to other Maryland hospitals by 25%. The community health system was also the first in Maryland to introduce the most advanced robotic-assisted surgical technology and to offer breakthrough bladder cancer therapy through gemcitabine intravesical systems, and is detecting nearly 40% of lung cancers at stage one. In 2025, the health system completed a birth place expansion that added five new labor and delivery rooms to reduce wait times for patients scheduled for induction. Frederick Health opened a blood donation center in early 2026, where donated blood stays within the community to directly support local patients.
Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (Melrose Park, Ill.). Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is a 235-licensed-bed community hospital that is part of Chicago-based Loyola Medicine and a member of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, offering comprehensive services including the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care, Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center, acute rehabilitation, a transitional care center and a fitness center. In 2025, the hospital received its first Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a distinction held by fewer than 10% of U.S. hospitals, and its hip and knee replacement program was designated a “Blue Distinction Center+” by Blue Cross Blue Shield that same year. Also in 2025, the hospital received laboratory accreditation with exemplary status from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine, the highest level of recognition an electrodiagnostic laboratory can achieve. In addition, its skilled nursing unit and acute inpatient rehabilitation programs achieved the highest level of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Gottlieb Memorial plays a unique public health role through the Loyola Medicine allergy count, conducted on-site and broadcast by local and national media as the official allergy count for the Midwest during allergy season.
Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center (Holmdel, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center offers inpatient, emergency and outpatient services across all major medical disciplines, earning national recognition from Healthgrades among “America’s 100 Best Community Hospitals” for stroke care, pulmonary care, critical care, and gastrointestinal care in 2025. The hospital is designated by the American College of Cardiology as a “HeartCARE” center, with a cardiac services program achieving a door-to-balloon time better than the national average and a state-of-the-art catheterization lab supporting minimally invasive cardiovascular and endovascular procedures. In 2025, Bayshore was the first hospital in New Jersey to offer and utilize the Galaxy System, which is a robotic bronchoscopy platform by Noah Medical, for earlier lung cancer diagnosis through precise targeting of lung nodules. The hospital has received the American Association of Critical Care Nurses “Beacon Award for Excellence,” the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award,” and a Leapfrog “A” safety grade in 11 of the last 12 ratings cycles, as well as Magnet recognition for nursing excellence. Bayshore’s Center for Wound Healing is a seven-time recipient of the Healogics “Center of Distinction Award,” and its 32,000-square-foot Dr. Robert H. Harris Emergency Care Center provides 35 private patient bays with dedicated imaging equipment. The hospital has earned the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for three consecutive years.
Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center (Brick Township, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center is a 317-bed academic medical center that combines community hospital accessibility with the high-technology advances of a major medical center. The hospital completed an $82 million expansion that includes a 44,300-square-foot state-of-the-art emergency care center and a comprehensive cancer center, and has opened the 18,000-square-foot Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart and Vascular Center, which saw a 70% year-over-year increase in cardiac catheterization laboratory volume since opening. The hospital also piloted the virtual nursing program for Hackensack Meridian Health, which has since expanded across the network. Ocean University Medical Center holds a Leapfrog elite “Straight A” designation, has earned the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for four consecutive years, and was recognized among Healthgrades “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” in 2025. The medical center has achieved the American College of Cardiology “HeartCARE” center national distinction of excellence, earned a 2025 “Beacon Award for Excellence” at the gold level from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and received zero high-risk findings in its most recent Joint Commission survey.
Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center (Perth Amboy, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center is a 347-bed hospital that expanded inpatient behavioral health to 81 beds in 2024 as a regional hub of the nationally recognized Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic, making it the first in the system’s network to receive the “Carrier Behavioral Health” designation through a comprehensive $20 million renovation and expansion. The behavioral health program supports adults, older adults and dual-diagnosis patients through individualized programs in a modern therapeutic environment emphasizing natural light, color and art. It also serves as a teaching and training site for medical students, general psychiatry residents, geriatric psychiatry fellows and addiction medicine fellows. In 2025, the community hospital earned advanced certification in perinatal care from The Joint Commission, and its Dr. Sam Gordon Berkow Maternity Pavilion follows safe sleep best practices to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. The hospital has earned its fifth Magnet designation for nursing excellence, holds the American Heart Association “Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award,” and has received the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award.” The hospital is also home to the system’s first long-term acute care hospital and operates a hyperbaric and wound healing center recognized nationally for achieving some of the best healing rates and fastest healing times in the country. The hospital was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as high-performing in heart failure, maternity care, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center is a 511-bed community acute care hospital that has served generations of families throughout the region for nearly 100 years, offering surgical expertise across general surgery, orthopedics, robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive techniques supported by physicians trained at top medical schools nationwide. Riverview Medical Center completed a comprehensive renovation and expansion of its emergency care center, ICU, rehabilitation center and surgical services, including two state-of-the-art specialty surgical suites and a dedicated robotic surgery center. The hospital has achieved 11 consecutive “A” ratings for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group and has been recognized by Healthgrades among “America’s 100 Best Hospitals” for stroke care, pulmonary care, prostate surgery and critical care in 2025. The hospital has maintained its Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 1998, and its cancer center, which includes a partnership with New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, offers CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery and TrueBeam non-invasive radiation technology. The hospital has been the first in the state to receive advanced certification for total hip and total knee replacement from The Joint Commission and holds disease-specific certifications in palliative care, spine surgery and perinatal care. The hospital is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and is listed among U.S. News & World Report‘s top 15 hospitals in New Jersey recognized for superior maternal care.
Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center (Stafford Township, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center is a 176-bed nonprofit community hospital with annual revenue of $310 million. The hospital has been focused on growing from medical to advanced surgical programs, completing a $31.4 million surgery expansion that added two operating rooms to its existing four, a new pre- and post-care unit, and sterile processing, creating state-of-the-art surgical facilities for what was once a more seasonally-driven community. The medical center holds a CMS 4-star rating, earned Leapfrog “A” grades for both spring and fall 2025, and achieved Magnet designation for nursing excellence. In 2025, the medical center was granted elective percutaneous coronary intervention approval from the New Jersey Department of Health and invested in a new cardiac catheterization lab, while also earning the American College of Cardiology “HeartCARE” center national distinction of excellence and heart failure center accreditation. The hospital received the 2026 robotic center of excellence designation, and has completed more than 2,000 da Vinci Xi robotic surgical cases in the first two years following implementation. The hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association with the “Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus” award with “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll,” and has earned Joint Commission certification for health care equity and sustainable healthcare. The medical center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons as the most comprehensive, high-quality bariatric surgery program in the region.
Humboldt Park Health (Chicago). Humboldt Park Health is a 200-bed safety-net hospital on Chicago’s West Side and a national model of equity-focused, community-driven healthcare, serving a historically underserved neighborhood with significant rates of chronic illness and poverty. In 2024, it became the first hospital in the Midwest, and only the 13th nationally, to earn The Joint Commission’s healthcare equity certification, and in 2023 it received the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award.” In a community where 38% of patients are obese and 18% manage type 2 diabetes, the hospital leverages clinical registries and dashboards to track comorbidities and build personalized treatment plans. For instance, a targeted campaign recently increased breast cancer screening rates among Black and Latina women by 40%. In January 2025, the hospital opened a $30 million, 45,500-square-foot wellness center featuring an indoor Olympic-size pool, an indoor track, fitness facilities, nutritional counseling and rehabilitation services, with sliding-scale membership for households earning under $70,000. In late 2025, the hospital announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope Cancer Center to bring top-tier oncology services directly to the Humboldt Park campus, expanding preventive screenings including mammograms, colonoscopies and lung cancer screenings for underinsured residents. The hospital is also a founding partner of Wellness West, a collaborative of more than 40 members addressing health, economic and environmental challenges for Chicago’s vulnerable populations.
Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital (East Norriton, Pa.). Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital is a 195-bed regional medical facility, offering the full scope of medical services with nationally recognized excellence in cardiovascular care, neurosciences, maternity and oncology, including campus locations of the Bruce & Robbi Toll Heart and Vascular Institute, the Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neurosciences and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. The hospital has earned 10 consecutive “A” grades from The Leapfrog hospital safety grade and holds Magnet nursing designation. U.S. News & World Report designates the hospital as high-performing nationally among its “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care,” and Newsweek has recognized it as a top maternity hospital. In 2024, the Karabots Foundation made a $4 million gift that funded the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Diagnostic Center and Interventional Radiology Suite, adding a new CT scanner, PET/CT scan and state-of-the-art interventional radiology equipment, which the hospital formally opened with a ribbon-cutting this year. In June 2025, Jefferson Health, in partnership with Upper Merion Fire & Emergency Medical Services, launched a second mobile stroke unit equipped with an onboard CT scanner and telemedicine connectivity to Jefferson stroke specialists. The hospital’s cardiac surgery program has been recognized by Healthgrades as a “Top 50 Cardiac Surgery Program” for three years, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons has awarded it a top rating.
Jefferson Washington Township (N.J.). Jefferson Washington Township Hospital is a 286-bed hospital offering world-class maternity, stroke, cancer and heart care to the community, featuring a seven-story patient pavilion with all-private patient rooms, a rooftop helistop and free parking. The hospital is home to a Joint Commission-certified comprehensive stroke center providing advanced 24/7 care including neuro-intensive, surgical and endovascular procedures, as well as the Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Jefferson New Jersey, the National Cancer Institute-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and Gloucester County’s largest neonatal ICU. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as high-performing in hip replacement, knee replacement, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and maternity care, and the American Heart Association awarded it a “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” and “Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Award” for 2025. Jefferson Washington Township was the first hospital in the nation to adopt the Swoop AI-powered portable MRI, enabling bedside brain imaging in emergency and intensive care settings. The hospital recently received state approval to perform elective and emergency percutaneous coronary intervention, and since the program’s launch, approximately 500 catheterizations have been performed. The cardiac catheterization lab surpassed 1,000 cardiac catheterizations and established a dedicated lab for emergency ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction heart attack care, enabling lifesaving intervention within 90 minutes of arrival.
Jersey City (N.J.) Medical Center. Jersey City Medical Center, part of West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health, is a 348-bed hospital that has served as a pillar of care in its community for more than 140 years. It is the region’s state-designated trauma center and the only medical center in its county to perform open-heart surgery. The hospital’s emergency medical services program is the first in the country to earn triple accreditation in dispatch, education and emergency medical services. In 2022, the medical center opened a $100 million expansion of its emergency department and launched a pediatric emergency department, and in 2023 unveiled the region’s first hybrid operating suites with full robotic surgery capabilities. In 2021, the hospital established the “Food FARMacy,” an initiative to combat food insecurity for local residents with chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity. The hospital has achieved Magnet recognition four consecutive times and has been designated a leader in LGBTQ healthcare equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation since 2014. In 2026, U.S. News & World Report named Jersey City Medical Center a “Best Hospital for Maternity Care,” Newsweek named it one of “America’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals,” and Healthgrades recognized it among “America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Prostate Care.”
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center (Columbia, Md.). Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center is the only hospital in the county, a 232-bed facility whose emergency department sees nearly 75,000 patients annually and which achieved its first Magnet designation. Healthgrades named Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center among “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” for 2025, placing the organization in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide, and CMS awarded it a 4-star rating. The hospital is ranked among the top hospitals in Maryland by U.S. News & World Report and is designated a cardiac interventional center, primary stroke center and perinatal referral center by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. Community health workers conducted social determinants of health screenings for 5,800 patients, representing 54% of the hospital’s total patient population, to identify needs related to food, housing, transportation and interpersonal violence. The hospital increased employee engagement by 4% in one year, exceeding the healthcare benchmark, and launched a virtual nursing program on inpatient units. The 2026 Executive Alliance “Honor Roll Award” recognized the hospital for women’s representation, with at least 30% of executive leadership and 30% of board seats held by women.
Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center. Jupiter Medical Center is a 340-bed independent, nonprofit hospital that has expanded rapidly under the leadership of its CEO. Recent developments include the January 2026 opening of the Tim and Jayne Donahue Patient Care Tower, funded by a historic $35 million gift, which added 92 beds and brought the hospital’s total inpatient capacity to 340 beds, with dedicated floors for orthopedics, oncology and cardiovascular care. Also in January 2026, the hospital announced a strategic partnership with New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery, consistently ranked No. 1 in orthopedics nationally by U.S. News & World Report, bringing internationally recognized expertise to South Florida. The hospital is projecting nearly 3,000 obstetric deliveries this year, a 70% increase since 2020, and is expanding maternity services with additional postpartum beds and obstetrics operating rooms. Newsweek named Jupiter Medical Center to its “World’s Best Hospitals” list for the fourth consecutive year in 2026, making it the only health system in the region to receive the honor four times. U.S. News & World Report recognized the medical center in 2025 as a high-performing hospital in five specialties, and Forbes named it one of “America’s Best Employers for Women” in 2025. The Leapfrog Group awarded the community hospital a consecutive “A” hospital safety grade and named it a “Top Hospital” in 2023.
Lakeview Hospital (Bountiful, Utah). Lakeview Hospital is a 125-bed community hospital serving more than 50,000 patients annually, with a comprehensive range of services from advanced orthopedics and robotic surgery to behavioral health, maternity care and 24/7 emergency services. The hospital has been recognized among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” by Premier for 15 years, including 2026, and earned 19 consecutive “A” grades from The Leapfrog Group from 2016-25. Healthgrades awarded the hospital the “Patient Safety Excellence Award” every year from 2013-25, and CMS awarded it a 5-star rating in 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The hospital has received multiple Healthgrades 5-star ratings including for spinal fusion surgery, sepsis treatment, hip fracture treatment and pacemaker procedures. In 2026, Lakeview Hospital is celebrating 50 years of service to the community, and nursing units within the Salt Lake City-based MountainStar Healthcare system, including Lakeview Hospital, were recognized in Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare’s “Unit of Distinction” program in 2025, placing them among the top-performing units nationwide.
Lakeview Hospital (Covington, La.). Lakeview Hospital is a 140-bed community hospital that has established itself as the only level 2 trauma center in St. Tammany Parish, ensuring residents of the rapidly growing Northshore region have immediate access to lifesaving emergency care without crossing Lake Pontchartrain. The hospital is staffed 24/7 by board-certified emergency physicians and has earned consistent recognition for quality outcomes, including designation as a primary stroke center and multiple Healthgrades 5-star ratings for stroke, heart attack and respiratory failure. Lakeview has been named a “Top Workplace” by The Times-Picayune and The New Orleans Advocate for five consecutive years, and holds both Baby-Friendly USA designation and Louisiana Birth Ready+ recognition underscoring its commitment to safe, high-quality maternal care. The hospital’s senior-friendly emergency department is designed to meet the unique needs of older adults through enhanced safety, comfort and care protocols, and its behavioral health program was recognized as the best in the region by CityBusiness readers. As part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health, the hospital has expanded its reach and capabilities while maintaining its local identity, and continues to grow outpatient access through physician clinics and specialty services across the region. The hospital holds a Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grade, The Joint Commission primary stroke center certification, and an Aetna “Institute of Quality Cardiac Care Facility” designation.
Lane Regional Medical Center (Zachary, La.). Lane Regional Medical Center, a 140-bed acute care community hospital, has served Zachary and surrounding communities since 1960, earning a 4-star rating from CMS, the only hospital in the Baton Rouge region and one of just seven statewide to attain that distinction. The hospital is the only facility offering obstetric care in an area stretching from north of I-10 to the Mississippi state line, eliminating the need for patients in what would otherwise be a maternal desert to travel long distances to give birth. In December 2025, the hospital completed a $90 million bed tower featuring 48 private patient rooms and operating rooms with advanced equipment, including technology that allows nurses to check on patients remotely and enables nurse specialists to virtually assist bedside staff, review clinical data and perform quality checks. The hospital has also expanded access to specialized care by adding a hospitalist group, an anesthesiologist and an outpatient tele-psychiatry clinic, with plans to introduce nephrology, neurology, urology, internal medicine, pulmonology and cardiothoracic surgical services. Lane Regional’s leadership has been proactive in navigating the significant financial headwinds facing community hospitals, including payer claim denials, rising labor and supply costs, and loan repayments on the capital improvements project. Simultaneously, hospital leadership is actively advocating for reforms in healthcare payer practices and regulations. The hospital maintains deep ties to the community through chamber of commerce board membership and other local partnerships, with the CEO’s selection as king of the community’s inaugural Mardi Gras parade reflecting the strength of that relationship.
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (New London, Conn.). Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a 308-bed nonprofit community hospital, has served as the healthcare anchor for southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island for more than a century and is now a member of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. In 2025, both the hospital’s ICU and critical care unit received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ “Silver Beacon Award for Excellence,” and the hospital and its affiliated Groton, Conn.-based Pequot Health Center emergency department earned the “Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award,” recognizing leadership, innovation and staff wellbeing in emergency care. The hospital is the only provider in eastern Connecticut performing both emergency and elective angioplasty, a vital capability for rapid, lifesaving cardiac intervention, and recently received verification from the American College of Surgeons as a level 3 trauma center. In 2024, the hospital delivered $86.7 million in community benefit, with more than 10,000 individuals receiving free or discounted care and millions more invested in education, prevention and nonprofit partnerships. In 2025, the hospital became a legacy partner of the New London Community Recreation Center, supporting CPR training, health screenings, maternal health programs and mental health education in the community. Cardiac electrophysiologists at the hospital are now performing pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation, and the hospital offers Aquablation for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
MacNeal Hospital (Berwyn, Ill.). MacNeal Hospital is a 349-licensed-bed teaching hospital and a member of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health. The hospital has served the community for more than a century, is home to Illinois’ first family medicine residency program and serves as a designated primary stroke center. In August 2024, the hospital received Magnet with distinction designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, becoming the 11th hospital in the nation to earn that top honor. The hospital earned the “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award” from the American Heart Association in 2025, received “Blue Distinction Center+” recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for both maternal medicine and hip and knee replacement care, and was recognized as a “Meritorious Performer” by the American College of Surgeons national surgical quality improvement program in 2025, placing it among only 43 hospitals in the nation to achieve that distinction. In partnership with Housing Forward, the hospital launched Sojourner House, the first medical respite program in suburban Cook County. In fiscal year 2024, MacNeal Hospital discharged more than 9,600 patients and received more than 51,000 emergency room visits. In January 2026, the hospital opened its newly renovated pulmonary rehabilitation service line.
Major Health Partners (Shelbyville, Ind.). Major Health Partners is a patient-centered healthcare provider with a more than century-long track record, offering technologically advanced specialty services including robotic-assisted surgery that are often unavailable in rural areas. In its first year, the hospital added the newly introduced da Vinci 5 robotic system, which supported more than 220 surgeries including general and gynecologic cases. The healthcare organization was named to the Chartis Group “Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals” and Forbes “Top Hospitals” in 2026, has been recognized as an “INspire Hospital of Distinction” by the Indiana Hospital Association for five consecutive years. In 2024, the hospital launched its Cardiometabolic & Liver Health Center for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome, which was a response to data from its most recent Community Health Needs Assessment showing Shelby County has the highest rates of obese adults and young people in Central Indiana. The hospital also launched a wound care center in 2025 offering vascular care, lymphedema treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and physical therapy. In September 2025, the maternity care unit formed a partnership with the Shelby County Health Department and The Milk Bank to increase access to pasteurized donor human milk for inpatient infants, including those born prematurely.
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (Clinton, Md.). MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center is a 214-bed community hospital that performs in the top decile across key quality measures including mortality, readmissions, C. difficile prevention, central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The hospital was ranked No. 1 in Maryland for patient safety by the Lown Institute in 2025, earning “A” grades in social responsibility, patient outcomes, clinical outcomes, community benefit and cost efficiency. In 2024, MedStar Southern Maryland earned recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access” and received Healthgrades’ “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention Award,” a distinction it has maintained across multiple consecutive years. As the region’s C-PORT center, the hospital provides advanced elective cardiac catheterization and coronary intervention procedures close to home for residents who would otherwise need to travel. The Prince George’s County Healthy Start program, funded through a Health Resources and Services Administration grant and operated in partnership with the hospital, has served more than 550 participants in its first three years, supporting mothers before, during and after pregnancy. The hospital has also completed several modernization projects including a renovated catheterization and electrophysiology lab, a refreshed pre-op and post-anesthesia care unit, and a new outdoor respite solarium courtyard for patients, visitors and associates.
MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Named for many years as one of the top workplaces by the Orange County Register and among the best of Orange County hospitals by the newspaper’s readers for 13 years, MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center continues to grow and expand to meet community needs. Its local, regional and statewide accomplishments among its clinical institutes include U.S. News & World Report listing it as high-performing in 15 procedures and conditions and as a best regional hospital for equitable access. The cardiology program received six consecutive high star ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for excellence in coronary artery bypass grafting and multi-procedural cardiac surgery cases, making it the only hospital in Orange County to achieve this distinction. In addition, the movement disorders program has performed the most magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound procedures on the West Coast, and Orange Coast received the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative’s “Superstar Award” for medium birth volume hospitals. It has a longstanding legacy of physician partnership and academic-level clinical capabilities, while maintaining the community hospital feel evidenced by initiatives like “Healing Harmonies,” established by night nurses who volunteer their time after their shifts end to sing to patients who are critically ill.
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center (Laguna Hills, Calif.). Selected as “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” for four consecutive years by Healthgrades, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center also recently earned its tenth “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group. Named “America’s Best Maternity Hospital” by Newsweek, its Women’s Health Pavilion opened in 2024 as the county’s first location dedicated entirely to women’s healthcare. Spanning three stories, each floor provides specialized care for women in every stage of their life, including breast health, specialty women’s cancer care, obstetrics and gynecology, community education center and more. Additional Healthgrades recognition includes “100 Best” in both gastrointestinal care and gastrointestinal surgery, “Patient Safety Excellence” and “Critical Care Excellence” awards. The organization also awarded the hospital 5-star national rankings for colorectal and gall bladder surgeries, hip fracture treatment, respiratory failure, and treatment of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetic emergencies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory failure and other medical issues. In addition to being listed as high-performing in 11 categories by U.S. News & World Report, Saddleback Medical Center’s level 3 geriatric emergency department recognition reflects a commitment to high-quality, age-friendly care. Consistently recognized by Orange County Register readers as one of the “Best Hospitals in Orange County,” the hospital is highly praised in the community for its comprehensive programs in heart and vascular care, cancer treatment, joint replacement and women’s health.
Mercy Hospital Washington (Mo.). Mercy Hospital Washington is an 88-bed community hospital that is the only level 3 trauma center between St. Louis and Jefferson City, Mo., holds the highest CMS star rating in the St. Louis region at four stars, and has earned Leapfrog “Straight-A” status, placing it in the top 13% of hospitals nationwide and the top 5% in the state. The hospital achieved record volumes in its cardiac catheterization laboratory, 4% year-over-year growth in operating room cases, and earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization margin improvement of 75 basis points year-over-year, translating to a $2 million improvement. Mercy Hospital Washington has given back more than $76 million in community benefit since 2020, including financial assistance, volunteer service hours, community sponsorships, and Caritas grants to local organizations such as Franklin County Foundation’s “Little Food Pantry,” Life’s River family shelter, and Teresa’s House warming shelter. The hospital recently expanded its cardiac catheterization laboratory to serve more than 2,000 patients annually, adding a third procedure suite, additional pre- and post-procedure rooms, and upgrading all existing rooms with modern equipment. In August 2025, Mercy Hospital Washington expanded access to pasteurized donor human milk by opening a new Milk Express site in partnership with The Milk Bank, making it the first Missouri hospital to serve as both a Milk Depot and Milk Express site, and has collected more than 30,000 ounces of milk since its 2023 opening, providing an estimated 90,000 feedings. In 2026, the hospital is celebrating 100 years of service to the community and 50 years as part of Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy.
Mile Bluff Medical Center (Mauston, Wis.). Mile Bluff Medical Center is the only full-service hospital in Juneau County, serving nearly 55,000 residents across an eight-county region, and operates a 40-bed acute care hospital, five outreach clinics, two nursing and rehabilitation centers, assisted living, retirement communities, a sleep center and a retail pharmacy, with more than 40 visiting specialists providing additional care access. Mile Bluff received the 2024 “Performance Leadership Award” from The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The hospital was the first adopter of Expanse Navigator, an AI-powered solution embedding Google Health search and summarization capabilities into its MEDITECH Expanse EHR, which has saved clinicians more than seven minutes per patient encounter. In 2025, Mile Bluff opened the newly renovated Mile Bluff Gateway Center, a 26,000-plus-square-foot facility housing urgent care, retail pharmacy and dialysis departments, and has recently added a birth center, an infusion and cancer care center, and a nuclear medicine imaging suite. The hospital received the American Heart Association’s “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Participant” award in 2024 and has established a comprehensive opioid stewardship program integrating clinical best practices, advanced technology and community engagement.
MultiCare Yakima (Wash.) Memorial Hospital. MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital is a mission-driven, nonprofit community hospital that has served Central Washington since 1950. It is the only level 3 adult and pediatric trauma center in its three-county area, with an emergency department serving nearly 86,000 visits in a recent year, totaling more than 230 patients per day, and among the highest proportions of Medicaid patients in the state. The hospital earned the Washington State Hospital Association’s “Achieving Best Care” recognition for back-to-back years for improving patient safety in priority areas including infections, falls, surgical complications and venous thromboembolism. It launched a multi-phase, three-year renovation in July 2025 to modernize patient rooms and waiting areas while remaining fully operational. MultiCare Orthopedics Northwest in Yakima highlighted the use of ARVIS, an augmented reality wearable guidance tool providing real-time alignment and implant positioning information during knee replacement surgery. The hospital’s annual Fiesta de Salud event has delivered free preventive services to more than 4,000 community members, including blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, vision exams and vaccines, supported by more than 60 community partners. Yakima Memorial also partnered with a major hop farm to host onsite health fairs for workers using portable point-of-care testing and bilingual screening.
New Orleans East Hospital. New Orleans East Hospital is a 40-bed facility that opened in 2014, nearly a decade after Hurricane Katrina left the area without a hospital. Since, the hospital has become a vital healthcare anchor providing emergency care, surgical services, diagnostic imaging, and specialty services for residents of New Orleans East. The hospital is the only facility in New Orleans East providing both a level 3 primary stroke center and maternal fetal medicine services, addressing two of the most critical healthcare needs in a community where a significant portion of patients rely on Medicaid. New Orleans East Hospital has been recognized multiple times as “Hospital of the Year” among hospitals with 60 beds or fewer, and holds an “A” grade from both The Leapfrog Group for safety and the Lown Institute for Social Responsibility. In 2025, the hospital expanded its maternal health services through the opening of a maternal fetal medicine clinic providing specialized care for high-risk pregnancies, and opened a new infusion center equipped with advanced technology to allow patients to receive IV therapies and specialty medications locally. The hospital’s comprehensive diabetes center offers team-based, coordinated care for patients living with diabetes, which is a critical service given the high prevalence of the condition in the community, and received recognition from both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association. It has also received the Louisiana Hospital Association “Drive to Excellence Quality Award” in 2025 and the United Way “Biggest Heart Award” in multiple years.
Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center (Charlotte, N.C.). Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center is a 36-bed community hospital that opened in 2018 and has rapidly earned national recognition for exceptional performance among small community hospitals. It ranked No. 5 among 206 participating small community hospitals in Vizient’s 2025 “Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Study,” marking the fifth consecutive year of recognition from Vizient. The hospital earned The Leapfrog Group’s 2025 “Top General Hospital Award,” holds an “A” hospital safety grade for fall 2025, and carries an elite “Straight A” designation for five or more consecutive top-scoring cycles. In both 2025 and 2026, Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center was named to Premier Inc.’s “100 Top Hospitals” list and received the “Everest Award” for significant long-term performance improvement over five years, an honor earned by only 17 hospitals nationwide in 2025 and 24 hospitals in 2026. The hospital is among only 36 nationwide recognized jointly by The Leapfrog Group and the American Diabetes Association as “Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes,” reflecting safe, high-quality inpatient diabetes care. In May 2025, the hospital completed a $45 million emergency department expansion, doubling its size to 44,000 square feet and adding 19 new rooms including trauma bays, behavioral health rooms, and a hybrid procedural space for radiology and cardiology services. The hospital was also among the first in the world to offer MR-guided focused ultrasound, an incisionless procedure for essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease, with one neurosurgeon preparing to complete the 800th such procedure since the program’s inception in 2020.
The Ohio State East Hospital (Columbus). The Ohio State East Hospital is a 190-bed academic community hospital on Columbus’ east side that blends the resources of Ohio State’s health system with a community-based setting, offering a level 3 trauma center, orthopedics, general and vascular surgery, cardiovascular care, pulmonary care, outpatient cancer care, urology and emergency medicine alongside the region’s leading alcohol and drug addiction recovery services. In 2025, the hospital piloted a virtual nurse program that supports bedside registered nurses through telemedicine for admissions, discharges, patient rounding and education, a pilot so successful that Ohio State expanded the model to its new hospital when it opened in February 2026. In 2024, the hospital opened a new residential treatment program for adults with substance use disorders, the only program of its kind in Ohio. The hospital has earned Leapfrog “A” safety grades in both 2024 and 2025, the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” award with “Target: Stroke Honor Roll” and “Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll,” and multiple Healthgrades “Emergency Medicine Excellence Awards.” The Ohio State East Hospital received the 2022 Association of American Medical Colleges “Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement,” reflecting its active participation in the community through career mentoring programs, health fairs, a community garden and philanthropic projects. Hospital leaders also participate on the Near East Side Advisory Council, focused on advocacy and responsible development for surrounding historic neighborhoods.
Orlando Health Melbourne (Fla.) Hospital. Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital is an acute care hospital serving its community since 2002, having joined Orlando (Fla.) Health in fall 2024. It is fully accredited by The Joint Commission for hospital and laboratory services, and was the first hospital in Brevard County to earn Joint Commission spine surgery certification. The hospital earned a Leapfrog Group “A” safety grade in both spring and fall 2025 and was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as high-performing in back surgery and hip replacement in 2025–26. The hospital recently earned designation as a primary Florida resuscitation center of excellence, recognizing its commitment to improving cardiac arrest outcomes and strengthening partnerships with local emergency medical services agencies. It also received advanced primary stroke center certification from The Joint Commission following a rigorous onsite review. The emergency department’s medical director launched the “Sun, Suds and Stitches: The National Spring Break Injury Prevention Campaign” to share practical safety guidance and reduce avoidable injuries, reflecting the hospital’s commitment to community health education and prevention. The hospital also participates in the American College of Cardiology “CathPCI registry,” supporting improved outcomes for patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary interventions.
Parkview Kosciusko Hospital (Warsaw, Ind.). Parkview Kosciusko Hospital is a 35-bed community hospital that opened in January 2024, doubling its originally planned footprint to 88,000 square feet after lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic informed a redesign, including a negative air pressure isolation system in 13 of 28 inpatient rooms for superior infection control and containment. Within its first year, the hospital’s emergency department surpassed its five-year volume projections, and the family birthing center welcomed more than 50 children in the final months of 2024 and nearly 300 births in 2025. The hospital is the first satellite location for the Fort Wayne-headquartered Parkview Packnett Family Cancer Institute, bringing cancer services to the western frontier of Parkview’s service area with seven exam rooms and nine infusion bays overlooking a healing garden. Kosciusko County, which is known as the “Orthopedic Capital of the World” for its medical device manufacturing industry, is served by the Parkview ONE Surgery Center, a new orthopedic ambulatory surgery center that opened in October 2025 adjacent to the hospital offering total joint replacements, ACL reconstruction, and spine, hand and upper extremity procedures. Parkview Kosciusko Hospital has earned straight “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group in all five grading periods since opening and was named “Business of the Year” in Kosciusko County in 2024 by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. The hospital also earned the Indiana Department of Health “INspire Hospital of Distinction” in 2025 and Joint Commission primary stroke certification in 2025.
Parrish Medical Center (Titusville, Fla.). Parrish Medical Center is a 208-bed, self-sustaining independent public community hospital that has not taxed the community since 1995, has provided more than $64.2 million in community benefit over the past three years, and became the nation’s first and still only Joint Commission integrated care certified healthcare organization in 2016. The hospital is a Cleveland Clinic Connected member, having passed a rigorous review of operations, quality and service excellence, and operates Parrish Healthcare, a regional network that includes Parrish Medical Center, a medical home, and a collaborative network of hundreds of providers, insurers and allied health services. In 2025, the hospital became the first in Brevard County to perform pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation inside a newly added cardiac electrophysiology laboratory, and was the first in Brevard to use the VELYS robotic-assisted solution for total knee replacement. In August 2025, the hospital opened the 25,000-square-foot Parrish Healthcare Center in North Titusville, now home to the Parrish Healthcare Oncology Center offering infusion services, radiation oncology, hematology and clinical research. The hospital invested $1 million to start up Space Coast Health Centers, a federally qualified clinic co-located adjacent to the emergency department offering primary care, OB/GYN, and behavioral health for uninsured and underinsured patients. U.S. News & World Report named Parrish Medical Center a high-performing hospital for maternity care for 2025-2026 and among the top 14% nationally for maternity care access.
Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital (Columbia, S.C.). Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital is a 76-bed community hospital opened in 2014, purpose-built with a patient-centered environment featuring open, natural light-filled spaces, a golf cart shuttle service and intuitive wayfinding to support both clinical efficiency and patient comfort. The hospital achieved Magnet with distinction designation in June 2025, one of the highest honors in nursing, placing it among an elite group of hospitals nationally demonstrating exceptional patient outcomes and a culture of continuous improvement. U.S. News & World Report recognized Parkridge as a high-performing hospital for maternity care for 2026, and the hospital earned a Leapfrog hospital safety grade of “A” in spring 2026, improving from a “B.” Its 2025–2026 Women’s Choice Awards further reflect strong patient experience and clinical outcomes. The hospital continues to strengthen core service lines including orthopedics, imaging and surgical services, including the use of robotic surgical platforms, ensuring patients can access advanced care locally. As part of Greenville-based Prisma Health, South Carolina’s largest healthcare system, Parkridge connects patients to specialized services across the system while maintaining the personalized approach of a community hospital.
Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital (Seneca, S.C.). Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital is a 169-bed community hospital with a nationally recognized record of excellence. The hospital earned 17 consecutive “A” Leapfrog hospital safety grades, which is the most earned by any in the state, and has been named a Leapfrog “Top Rural Hospital” four consecutive times, placing it among a select group of top-performing rural hospitals nationwide. The hospital achieved Magnet designation in 2024 and is ranked among the top 5% of hospitals nationally for quality by Healthgrades. Its joint center performs more than 1,000 joint replacements annually, including robotic-assisted procedures, and the hospital recently became the first in South Carolina to perform surgery using the da Vinci 5 robotic system. Oconee Memorial operates the state’s first hospital-based free dental clinic for uninsured, low-income patients and maintains a family medicine residency program preparing physicians to practice in underserved rural communities. The hospital recently opened a dedicated behavioral health emergency care center for adults and children, and $4.5 million raised by the Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation will support expansion of the Prisma Health Cancer Institute on campus. Its emergency department has reduced its “left without being seen” rate to just 0.25% over the past three years while maintaining patient experience scores in the 87th percentile nationally.
Riverside Medical Center (Kankakee, Ill.). Riverside Healthcare is a nationally recognized, independent community hospital system that has earned its fourth Magnet recognition, with zero deficiencies and multiple exemplars, placing it in an elite group of hospitals nationwide that have maintained that level of distinction. The hospital has achieved a Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grade, earned the American College of Cardiology “HeartCARE” center designation, holds a Commission on Cancer accreditation from the American College of Surgeons, and received the “Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health” at the platinum level. The hospital has been approaching milestone volumes in structural heart interventions such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement and Watchman procedures, maintains zero surgical site infections year to date and has demonstrated measurable improvements in sepsis care compliance. Recent innovations include the introduction of Aquablation therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and trabecular bone score imaging technology for enhanced osteoporosis detection and risk assessment. The hospital is incorporating AI-supported tools in radiology to improve diagnostic accuracy and turnaround times, and a new behavioral health skills room provides simulation-based training to strengthen clinical competency. Following a regional tornado, the hospital mobilized quickly to provide care, support recovery efforts and assist affected employees, reinforcing its role as a community anchor during times of crisis.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (N.J.). Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton is a 287-bed facility that traces its origins to Trenton General Hospital in 1941. Today, it serves as the largest employer in Hamilton Township, providing nursing and allied health training to 13 surrounding colleges and universities. The hospital’s cancer center, in partnership with New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers Cancer Institute, which is the state’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, brings world-class researchers, specialists and clinical trials close to home. The hospital’s orthopedic program is the only one in the capital region nationally certified in knee, hip and spine surgery by The Joint Commission. RWJUH Hamilton holds 17 Leapfrog “A” safety grades and has twice been recognized by The Leapfrog Group as a “Top General Hospital.” It holds Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and was the first of two New Jersey hospitals to receive the “Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.” In December 2025, the hospital opened the Woods Primary and Behavioral Health Center at Hamilton, which is the first integrated clinic of its kind in the state, designed to close health care access gaps for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism. The clinic was developed through a partnership with Woods System of Care. In May 2025, the hospital opened a new, 5,500-square-foot state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratory, and in November 2025, unveiled a new helistop to expand critical patient transfer capabilities.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway (N.J.). Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway has served as a trusted cornerstone of care in its county and the surrounding region for 110 years, delivering high-quality, patient-centered care as a 212-bed community hospital. Its comprehensive continuum of services includes advanced diagnostics, a full-service emergency department, surgical and specialty care and a robust wound care program. The hospital has earned nine consecutive “A” grades in hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group, received American College of Cardiology cardiac catheterization lab certification with percutaneous coronary intervention in 2026, and received Joint Commission primary stroke center certification in 2025. The hospital earned the American Heart Association “Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award” for heart attack care and was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a “Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality” in 2024. In 2026, the hospital significantly expanded access to coordinated outpatient care with the opening of primary and specialty care at Rahway, an 11-room suite offering integrated cardiology, pulmonology and general surgery services. Recent technology investments include a new cystoscopy suite, endoscopic ultrasound and an upgraded da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system. The hospital also holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons metabolic and bariatric surgery accreditation and quality improvement program, and diabetes certification from the American Diabetes Association.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (Somerville, N.J.). Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is a 343-bed RWJBarnabas Health hospital founded in 1899 that has earned Magnet recognition for nursing excellence four times, held an “A” safety grade from The Leapfrog Group 16 times, and was honored as one of “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” by Healthgrades in 2025, placing it in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance for the third consecutive year. The hospital earned the prestigious health equity accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the first hospital in the state and only the fourth hospital or health system in the country to receive this recognition. It was also designated as a “Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign for its Babs Siperstein PROUD Center, the first in New Jersey to offer specialized primary care for LGBTQ+ adults when it opened in 2016. The hospital completed a 76,000-square-foot two-story vertical expansion in late 2024, the largest construction project on campus in nearly two decades, and opened the top floor in February 2025 with 45 all-private rooms. In 2025, the hospital opened the Kalafer Family Rapid Decision Unit, an 18-bed unit for patients requiring further evaluation before admission, named in honor of a family that has donated $3.5 million over two decades. The hospital provided more than $2 million in community benefits in 2025, including 48 support groups, 54 health screenings reaching 53,000 individuals, and distribution of nearly 500 chickens and turkeys to food pantries at Thanksgiving. Its “Healing Homes” initiative provides transitional housing for local individuals or families whose illness caused financial hardship and housing instability.
Saint Francis Hospital (Evanston, Ill.). Saint Francis Hospital is a 197-bed, full-service acute care hospital and a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation, a public nonprofit charity. The hospital serves the Evanston and North Shore communities across a broad range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and specialty care services. The hospital has achieved ANCC Magnet recognition with distinction, one of the highest honors for nursing practice and patient care. Saint Francis is ranked No. 1 in the nation for pay equity by the Lown Institute Hospitals Index and earned “A” grades from the Lown Institute for social responsibility, patient safety, health equity, community benefit and inclusivity. The hospital received the Healthgrades 2026 “Patient Safety Excellence Award” and was recognized by Healthgrades for clinical excellence and quality care. It also earned a high-performing designation from U.S. News & World Report.
Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital (Chicago). Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital is a 361-bed, full-service acute care hospital serving the West Side of Chicago and surrounding communities with inpatient, outpatient, emergency, surgical and diagnostic services. The hospital ranks No. 1 in health equity in Illinois and in the top 5 in Illinois for social responsibility, placing it among the top 20 nationally by the Lown Institute Hospitals Index. The hospital opened an obstetrics-focused emergency department and earned geriatric emergency department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, recognizing specialized, age-appropriate emergency care for older adults. Saint Mary of Nazareth collaborates with the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center to support child protection, violence prevention and child abuse prevention efforts, and participates in community flu vaccination initiatives to improve preventive care access. It was recognized by Healthgrades for clinical excellence and quality care in 2025 and earned a high-performing designation from U.S. News & World Report.
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center (Reno, Nev.). Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center is a member of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare and the only facility in Nevada to receive Healthgrades’ “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for 10 consecutive years, placing it among the top hospitals nationally for preventing complications and maintaining patient safety. The hospital has been named to the Forbes “Top Hospitals” list, earned a “HeartCARE” center national distinction from the American College of Cardiology, was recognized as one of “America’s 100 Best Hospitals” for spine surgery by Healthgrades, and holds an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group. Saint Mary’s employs more than 1,100 professionals and has received a Congressional Certificate of Recognition and a Senate Certificate of Commendation for its service to the community. It holds high-performing designations from U.S. News & World Report in multiple specialties and earned an “A” rating from the Lown Institute for social responsibility, as well as recognition in Newsweek‘s “America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare” and “Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing.” In response to nationwide healthcare staffing challenges, the hospital has implemented wage increases that will deliver millions of dollars in additional compensation over three years, paired with comprehensive benefits and professional development programming to support long-term nurse retention.
Saint Mary’s Hospital (Kankakee, Ill.). St. Mary’s Hospital is a 182-bed, full-service acute care hospital in Kankakee, Ill., and a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation, a public nonprofit charity, recognized for sustained excellence in patient safety and equitable care. The hospital earned four consecutive “A” grades for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group and received the Healthgrades 2026 “Patient Safety Excellence Award,” and was named to the Forbes “Top Hospitals” list, reflecting strong performance across national measures of clinical quality, outcomes and patient experience. St. Mary’s received “A” grades from the Lown Institute Hospitals Index for pay equity and health equity. Following a devastating tornado on March 10, the hospital cared for community members who came through its emergency department during and after the storm, and in the days that followed provided meals to first responders and hosted an interfaith prayer vigil with local clergy and community members to support recovery. The Prime Healthcare Foundation contributed $50,000 to the United Way of Kankakee’s Emergency Relief Fund to support affected families, reflecting the hospital’s role as a pillar of the community beyond its clinical walls.
Sanford Bemidji (Minn.) Medical Center. Sanford Bemidji Medical Center is a 118-bed hospital that serves as the region’s largest hospital and a rural healthcare hub for northern Minnesota, with Sanford Health having invested more than $100 million to expand access to specialty care in the area including behavioral health, cardiology, orthopedics, pulmonology and oncology, collectively serving more than 176,000 people. In 2025, the Minnesota Hospital Association awarded Sanford Bemidji five awards including the “High Reliability Organization Award,” “Community Collaboration in Addressing Social Determinants of Health Award,” “Quality & Safety Improvement Award,” “Editorial Excellence Award” and “Exceptional Minnesota Hospital Workplace Award.” The hospital received the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” in 2026, maintained its 4-star CMS rating in 2025, and was named one of
“America’s Best Maternity Hospitals” for 2025 by Newsweek and Statista. In January 2026, the hospital launched a 24/7 naloxone distribution program in partnership with Sanford Bagley (Minn.) Medical Center, distributing more than 120 kits in the first quarter alone, contributing to zero reported overdose deaths in the Beltrami County region during that period. Since 2023, 9,800 clients have used the hospital’s virtual behavioral health program, with more than 8,800 having never accessed behavioral health services before. Sanford Bemidji annually provides more than $1 million to local nonprofit partners and supports more than 40 programs addressing social determinants of health.
Scotland Memorial Hospital (Laurinburg, N.C.). Scotland Memorial Hospital is a 104-bed independent community hospital in rural North Carolina, and has served its communities for more than 80 years as the largest employer in Scotland County, providing more than 1,500 jobs. In 2024, the hospital opened the first phase of a $65 million surgical and imaging expansion, the largest capital investment in its history, by introducing six new operating rooms. In 2025, the hospital completed the second phase by adding 21 pre- and post-operative rooms, a new waiting area and new conference space. Scotland Memorial became the first healthcare provider in North Carolina to adopt the Mako 4 robotic arm surgical system for orthopedic care with sub-millimeter precision, 3D modeling and expanded joint replacement capabilities, and added the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system to expand minimally invasive capabilities across general surgery, OB/GYN and urology. The hospital earned The Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval” for advanced primary stroke certification, a first in the hospital’s history and an extraordinary distinction for a rural hospital, and held “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group in both spring and fall 2025. In December 2025, the hospital implemented discounted tuition and opened an on-campus daycare center for employees with extended hours to accommodate 12-hour shifts, developed directly in response to employee feedback. The hospital was among four finalists for the 2026 American Hospital Association “Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award.”
Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Hospital. Sherman Oaks Hospital is a 153-bed facility, part of the broader Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. The community hospital has received the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for 13 consecutive years, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals nationally for patient safety for each of those years. The hospital has earned 5-star ratings from Healthgrades for hip fracture treatment for 13 consecutive years, for sepsis treatment for 11 consecutive years, and for heart failure treatment for 11 consecutive years. The Lown Institute has awarded the hospital “A” grades in outstanding social responsibility, patient safety and outstanding social responsibility for 2023-2026. The hospital also holds The Joint Commission “Gold Seal of Approval” alongside the American Heart Association “Heart-Check” mark for advanced certification for primary stroke centers. Sherman Oaks Hospital’s clinical programs include a primary stroke center, catheterization lab services for advanced cardiac care, a center for reconstruction and wound healing with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, gero psychiatric services for older adults, and subacute nursing care services supporting patients transitioning from hospital to home. The hospital offers a 24-hour emergency department approved for pediatrics by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and holds “Bronze Seal” accreditation as a geriatric emergency department from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Southern New Hampshire Medical Center (Nashua). Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, part of Nashua-based Southern New Hampshire Health, is a 188-bed hospital recognized for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. The community hospital has received five Magnet designations for nursing excellence, a sustained record that reflects a culture grounded in quality, safety and collaboration. It is the only hospital in New Hampshire with verified neurosurgical trauma capabilities as a level 3-N trauma center, a distinction verified by the American College of Surgeons. The hospital has been named one of “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals” for 2026 by Newsweek and Statista, and earned the American Heart Association’s “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Bronze Award.” Southern New Hampshire Health has earned an “A-” rating from S&P Global Ratings, reflecting financial stability and disciplined leadership that supports ongoing investment in advanced technologies including robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive treatments. The hospital has introduced specialized treatments including Aquablation therapy and Enterra therapy, allowing patients to receive advanced, highly specialized care locally. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center was ranked No. 1 in New Hampshire for social responsibility by the Lown Institute Hospitals Index.
Southern Ohio Medical Center (Portsmouth). Southern Ohio Medical Center is a 211-bed hospital serving a large, sparsely populated region across southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The community hospital earned its 12th “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group in 2025 thanks to a sustained “zero harm” strategy that has included a multidisciplinary C. difficile screening process that drove a 30% relative decrease in hospital-acquired infections while saving the infectious diseases pharmacist 3.5 hours per week. The hospital recently earned the Healthgrades “Outstanding Patient Experience Award” and the “America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Prostate Care Award,” and was ranked 16th in Newsweek‘s “America’s Best-in-State Hospitals” for Ohio in 2026. Through its MEDITECH opioid stewardship toolkit, clinicians can access state prescription drug monitoring databases, conduct risk assessments and track patients’ risk of substance use disorder. This is a critical tool in Portsmouth, which was an epicenter of the Scioto County opioid epidemic. The hospital implemented customized urine culture ordering screens and rule logic in its EHR, and reported a 29% reduction in urine culture orders six months post-implementation. In early 2026, the medical center opened a newly redesigned orthopedic associates clinic combining orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and podiatry under one roof. It is now preparing to open the Raceland Family Practice & Specialty Associates facility in Kentucky, adding a drive-thru community pharmacy, primary care, orthopedics, general surgery and X-ray services to a rural region.
Southwest Health System (Cortez, Colo.). Southwest Health System is a critical access hospital that has built its success on three strategic pillars, including physician recruitment, financial sustainability and operational efficiency. The organization’s physician recruitment approach replaces routine facility tours with multi-day visits in which prospective medical professionals and their families meet potential colleagues, connect with local residents who share similar interests, and interact with school leaders. This strategy has yielded 17 accepted physician offers out of 18 extended. On the financial front, the hospital’s CEO demonstrated strategic resource management by renegotiating a leaking roof repair that initially bid above $1.5 million, completing the work for approximately $600,000 through partnerships with Community Hospital Corporation and Health Trust Performance Group and immediately reallocating the savings to patient care. The hospital also stabilized its financial position by building lender trust through transparent financial planning, prompting creditors to adjust bond covenant terms to grant the hospital greater flexibility. For operational efficiency, the community hospital leverages partnership expertise for critical processes such as charge master reviews and month-end financial reporting, allowing it to manage specialized functions without the cost of full-time in-house staff. The hospital’s leadership team has been a vocal public advocate on rural health policy, warning that proposed Medicaid cuts and challenges to nonprofit tax status could threaten the hospital with losses in the millions, and arguing that the community benefits provided by nonprofit rural hospitals, including charity care, emergency services and mental health programs, far outweigh the cost of their tax exemptions.
St. Francis–Emory Healthcare (Columbus, Ga.). St. Francis–Emory Healthcare is a 376-bed community hospital serving west Georgia and east Alabama with more than 2,500 associates and 300 physicians. The hospital offers the only open-heart surgery program in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley and celebrated its 75th year serving the Columbus area in 2025. In 2025, the hospital recruited more than 80 providers, invested more than $3 million in facilities and advanced technologies, and earned Healthgrades distinctions including the “Coronary Intervention Excellence Award” and a ranking among the top 10% nationally for coronary interventional procedures. The hospital’s Bradley Center, a cornerstone of behavioral health since 1955, offers 84 licensed inpatient psychiatric beds for pediatric, adult and geriatric populations, and has established a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to provide 24/7 crisis services, including a walk-in crisis center and a 37-bed crisis stabilization unit. St. Francis–Emory Healthcare was the first hospital in Georgia to receive the “Purple Heart Hospital” designation from the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and recently earned The Joint Commission’s advanced perinatal care certification, making it the first hospital in Georgia to obtain that certification. The hospital paid a payroll of more than $133 million, contributed more than $20 million in local, state and provider taxes, and provided more than $43 million in uncompensated care in 2025. A community-based psychiatry residency program developed by the Bradley Center in partnership with St. Francis is expected to be the largest of its kind in Georgia upon full implementation.
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center (Lewiston, Idaho). St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is a 145-bed level 3 trauma center and the largest full-service regional medical center between Boise, Idaho and Spokane, Wash. The hospital provides advanced-level specialty healthcare to more than 60,000 residents in the Lewis-Clark Valley through more than 100 board-certified physicians and providers. For the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named the hospital a “Best Hospital for Maternity Care,” and for the third consecutive year named it a “Maternity Care Access Hospital,” a designation given to only a few dozen hospitals nationwide for serving communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts. In 2025, the medical center acquired Lewiston-based Catalyst Medical Group, adding 30 providers and doubling the size of its medical group, significantly expanding services in cancer care, maternity, heart and vascular, neurology, wound care, orthopedics, primary care and pediatrics. Castle Connolly named the medical center a 2026 “Top Hospital for C-Section Surgery,” and the hospital earned the American College of Cardiology’s “NCDR Chest Pain — MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award” in July 2024, becoming one of only 259 hospitals nationwide to receive that honor. The hospital also earned spring 2025 and fall 2024 “A” grades for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group and a level 2 stroke center designation from Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency System. The ICU received the prestigious “Hospital Unit of the Year” award from LifeNet Health for its outstanding donation metrics and 100% compliance rate in referring all deaths to the donation referral line.
St. Luke’s University Health Network Carbon Campus (Lehighton, Pa.). St. Luke’s University Health Network Carbon Campus is an 80-bed hospital that opened in 2021 as a four-story, 160,000-square-foot facility. It’s the first new hospital built in Carbon County in 65 years, and offers surgical, cancer and specialty services as part of a 108-acre rural medical and wellness complex. The hospital has earned a CMS 5-star rating, a Press Ganey “Guardian Award” for patient experience, stroke and chest pain accreditation, and level 4 trauma designation. Recent expansions have grown the emergency department from 17 to 25 beds, added 16 medical-surgical rooms and established an interventional radiology suite, alongside a new ICU with 24/7 provider coverage offering Arctic Sun treatment and continuous renal replacement therapy unavailable elsewhere in the area. The Carbon Campus benefits from the network’s systemwide Epic EHR, multi-year “Most Wired” recognition, and straight “A” Leapfrog grades across all of its acute care hospitals in 2025.
St. Mary’s General Hospital (Passaic, N.J.). St. Mary’s General Hospital is a 307-bed community hospital that unites the legacies of three former Passaic hospitals consolidated in 2007 into the city’s last remaining full-service hospital serving Passaic and neighboring communities. The hospital received the Healthgrades 2026 “Patient Safety Excellence Award,” placing it in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety and one of only 14 hospitals in New Jersey to earn this distinction, based on lower rates of hospital-acquired infections, procedural complications and in-hospital falls. St. Mary’s General Hospital is the only hospital in Passaic County to earn multiple consecutive “A” hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group, and was named high-performing in heart failure care by U.S. News & World Report in 2025-2026. In late 2024, the hospital launched a center for robotic surgery with the da Vinci Xi surgical system, enabling minimally invasive procedures with enhanced precision across general surgery, gynecology, bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. The hospital also implemented “FastTrackCare,” an online emergency room reservation platform allowing patients with non-life-threatening conditions to wait at home until their scheduled arrival time, reducing uncertainty and improving patient flow. Since Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare’s acquisition in 2014, the hospital has received more than $80 million in investments including $30 million in capital improvements to strengthen its role as a safety-net provider.
Sutter Davis (Calif.) Hospital. Sutter Davis Hospital is a 57-bed high-performing community hospital in Northern California that is part of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health’s nonprofit integrated system, named as one of Premier Inc.’s “100 Top Hospitals” for its high-quality emergency, surgical and maternity services. The hospital was named among the top 10% in the nation for patient safety by Healthgrades in March 2026 and earned an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group. A repeated Baby-Friendly USA designee, Sutter Davis is consistently recognized for excellence in maternity care through a family-centered birthing center that promotes physiologic labor and patient choice. The hospital has been a 5-star recipient from Healthgrades for treatment of heart failure for four consecutive years and has earned the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award,” the highest level of recognition for evidence-based stroke care. The hospital has also been recognized for advancing safe opioid prescription practices, treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders, and harm reduction strategies. With just 57 beds, Sutter Davis demonstrates how a small community hospital can deliver nationally recognized quality across emergency, surgical, maternity, cardiac and stroke service lines.
Tufts Medicine Lowell (Mass.) General Hospital. Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital is a 390-bed community hospital that has served the Greater Lowell community since 1891, operating two inpatient campuses, a cancer center, a heart and vascular center, four urgent care locations and an extensive outpatient network with one of the busiest emergency departments in Massachusetts, including a level 3 trauma center. The hospital has achieved Magnet designation four consecutive times, most recently in May 2025, placing it among only 2% of U.S. hospitals to hold the designation and one of only 10 Magnet-designated healthcare organizations in Massachusetts. In 2025, the hospital received The Joint Commission’s excellent health outcomes for all certification and was certified as a primary stroke service center effective March 2026. The hospital holds multiple Surgical Review Corporation centers of excellence designations for minimally invasive surgery, minimally invasive urology, minimally invasive gynecology and robotic surgery, and U.S. News & World Report ranked it high-performing in hip replacement and knee replacement for 2025–26. In August 2025, the hospital introduced the fastest AI-powered MRI technology at its Saints Campus, and its mobile integrated health program leverages specially trained paramedics to deliver 24/7 acute care services in patients’ homes, reducing avoidable emergency department visits particularly for older adults and those with complex chronic conditions.
USC Arcadia (Calif.) Hospital. USC Arcadia Hospital, part of Los Angeles-based Keck Medicine of USC, has 348 licensed beds, treats more than 40,000 patients in the emergency department each year, and is outfitted with advanced diagnostic technology including a 320-slice CT scanner and high-definition MRI, alongside state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs, electrophysiology and neuro-interventional radiology. The hospital houses Keck Medicine’s acute rehabilitation unit, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and is ranked in the top 3% in the nation for acute rehabilitation by Uniform Data System. The American Stroke Association and American Heart Association awarded USC Arcadia the “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” with “Honor Roll Elite Plus” and “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll” designation, and the hospital has been named high-performing for stroke, as well as maternity and perinatal care by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital has been designated a comprehensive stroke center by DNV GL Healthcare and by LA County Emergency Medical Services, and was designated a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving center by LA County EMS for the seventh consecutive time in 2025. The bariatrics care team is recognized as a center of excellence for bariatric service by both Optum and Health Net. The cardiology department has received the “Coronary Intervention Excellence Award” and “State Ranking Award” from Healthgrades.
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (Glendale, Calif.). USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is a 158-bed community hospital and part of Los Angeles-based Keck Medicine of USC, providing a 24-hour emergency room, a primary stroke center, bariatric and minimally invasive surgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, and imaging and diagnostic services across 18 zip codes, nine cities and three service planning areas in Los Angeles County. For the third consecutive time, the hospital’s emergency department nurses received the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award” in 2025, recognizing exceptional leadership, clinical practice, education and advocacy. In 2024, the hospital’s ICU received the “Gold Beacon Award for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and its nurse residency program was awarded with the organization’s practice transition program accreditation. The American College of Radiology recently designated USC Verdugo Hills Hospital a comprehensive breast imaging center, and the hospital received a three-year accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for adult transthoracic echocardiography in 2025. The Leapfrog Group awarded the hospital an “A” grade in 2023, fall 2025 and spring 2026. The Healthcare Bluebook recognized USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in the top 10% nationally across multiple areas for medical excellence and patient safety.
UVA Health Haymarket (Va.) Medical Center. UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center is a 60-bed acute care facility in one of Northern Virginia’s fastest-growing regions, accredited by The Joint Commission and holding a Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grade for 18 consecutive reporting periods. The hospital earned its first primary stroke center certification from The Joint Commission and received “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” with “Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite” and “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll” recognition from the American Heart Association, as well as the “Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Bronze Plus” award. A second new robotic-assisted surgical system for minimally invasive knee and hip joint orthopedic surgeries has been installed, enhancing precision, reducing tissue disruption and improving outcomes for patients. The hospital’s 24/7 emergency department, on-campus outpatient surgery center and co-located physician clinics in an adjacent medical office building covering bariatric, breast, spine and general surgery, OB/GYN, cardiology and urology create a comprehensive, coordinated care model. During the 2025 grant cycle, Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health awarded more than $297,000 to 38 nonprofit organizations across Northern Virginia and Culpeper, and the UVA Health Auxiliary awarded $40,000 in scholarships to 14 healthcare-bound student volunteers.
UVA Health Prince William (Va.) Medical Center. UVA Health Prince William Medical Center is a 130-bed community hospital that has served the county for more than 60 years, holding Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Joint Commission accreditation and an “A” grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group for 18 consecutive reporting periods. It is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as high-performing in maternity care and heart attack, and is part of the Charlottesville-based UVA Health system that earned Joint Commission “Gold Seal of Approval” for primary heart attack center in 2025. The hospital received the “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” with “Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite” and “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll “award in 2025 for its commitment to evidence-based stroke care. The hospital has expanded access to transcarotid artery revascularization, a minimally invasive stroke-prevention procedure, and in May 2026 welcomed a new AI-powered, second-generation Aquablation therapy for urology. A new mobile mammography coach with state-of-the-art 3D imaging technology launched in the past year, expanding access to breast cancer screening, and the hospital has installed a new MRI, upgraded interventional radiology and upgraded both cardiac catheterization labs. During the 2025 grant cycle, UVA Health awarded more than $297,000 to 38 nonprofit organizations, with 25 grants going to local nonprofits in the community.
University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center (Ashland, Ohio). University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center has served the county and surrounding communities for more than a century. The community hospital has accelerated its impact since integrating with Cleveland-based University Hospitals in 2015, and has introduced 11 new providers in the past year alone across specialties including orthopedics, urology, neurology, oncology, pulmonary and sleep medicine, and primary care. The 55-bed hospital opened the first and only wound care center in Ashland County in fall 2025, providing comprehensive treatment for patients with complex wounds who previously had to travel more than 20 miles for care, and successfully upgraded its cardiac catheterization lab to level 2 status. The hospital has earned a CMS 5-star rating for nurse communication, fall 2025 and spring 2026 Leapfrog “A” safety grades, the American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” recognition, and designation as a Chartis “Top Rural Hospital.” In partnership with the local Council on Aging, UH Samaritan established a telehealth education center with hospital-grade equipment offering hands-on classes for older adults, and conducts community outreach through summer farmers markets, CPR classes, and ongoing health education via local radio. The hospital has deployed Rover mobile devices for real-time nurse communication, Masimo continuous monitoring technology for early detection of patient condition changes, and ambient listening technology to reduce documentation burden and maximize face-to-face time with patients. The hospital’s culture is characterized by whole-person care that extends to music therapy, birthday cards and “Pet Pals” visits that bring comfort and humanity during difficult moments.
University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (Glen Burnie). University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center is a leading community hospital that grew from a small community hospital more than 60 years ago into a Healthgrades “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” award recipient for 2024–26, placing it in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide, and was named a top five hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report in 2024 and 2025. The hospital’s Tate Cancer Center was re-accredited as an academic comprehensive cancer program by the Commission on Cancer in 2025, and its intensive and intermediate care units hold the “Gold Beacon Award for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, making it the only critical care division in Maryland to receive the gold distinction. The hospital has expanded from fewer than 50 clinical research studies to more than 200 in under two years, and its annual “SPARQ Tank” innovation competition has funded initiatives including a diabetes meal kit program for discharged patients, an incidental pulmonary nodule program powered by AI, and expanded short-term hospice care at home. For five consecutive years, the hospital has received “Minogue Awards” from the Mid Atlantic Patient Safety Center for programs addressing hospital readmissions, sepsis care and care transitions. In partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, the hospital helped open two STEM centers in Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (La Plata). UM Charles Regional Medical Center is a community hospital with a deeply embedded culture of patient safety, earning Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grades in spring 2025 and spring 2026, Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Awards” in both 2025 and 2026, and “Get With The Guidelines Stroke” recognition from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. In 2026, the hospital received the “Circle of Honor Award” for patient safety innovation from the Mid Atlantic Patient Safety Center for its diabetes health equity transformation initiative, which advances equitable, culturally responsive diabetes care for all patients regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. The hospital received an “A” grade for social responsibility from the Lown Institute and holds The Joint Commission accreditation. Its interdisciplinary bedside rounding model, called “Standard Work,” brings physicians, nurses, case managers, pharmacists and allied health professionals together with patients and families to strengthen communication and shared decision-making. Ambulatory practice visits have grown by 25% over the past five years, reflecting strong community demand for coordinated outpatient services, and in that period the hospital expanded clinical practices including gastroenterology, endocrinology, primary care and women’s health. New primary care offices, a neurology practice, a new MRI program and a “Food is Medicine” program integrating nutrition support into care planning for food-insecure patients reflect the hospital’s commitment to care that extends beyond hospital walls.
Warren Memorial Hospital (Front Royal, Va.). Warren Memorial Hospital is a 36-bed community hospital that invested nearly $100 million in 2021 to build a brand-new facility on a 150-acre campus, featuring 36 private patient rooms, 18 emergency department beds, operating rooms, a catheterization lab and expansive walking trails. The hospital has been named to the list of “Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals” in the country for both 2024 and 2025 by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, one of only four Virginia hospitals on the list, with a nurse retention rate consistently above 90%. Warren Memorial holds a “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is home to the Shenandoah Valley Family Practice Residency Program, which has graduated more than 115 doctors since 1998. In 2025, the hospital received accreditation recognition from the American College of Cardiology for its chest pain center, which has been accredited by the American College of Cardiology since 2012, validating its ability to rapidly diagnose and treat cardiac emergencies. The hospital’s technology investments include minimally invasive robotic surgery systems for orthopedic, gynecological and general procedures; a “Bedside Connect” platform enabling specialty consultations via high-definition cameras and virtual nursing; and “MyChart Bedside” allowing patients to communicate with caregivers, access test results and manage daily needs from their room.
Washington County Regional Medical Center (Sandersville, Ga.). Washington County Regional Medical Center is a 56-bed hospital serving a rural Georgia community. In partnership with Watkinsville, Ga.-based Aletheia Health Partners, the hospital has undergone a remarkable turnaround after appearing on potential closure lists in recent years, achieving a trajectory for generational growth within a 24-month window. The hospital was named to the Chartis 2026 “Top Rural and Community Hospitals” list, reflecting national recognition of its improved clinical and operational performance. In April 2026, the hospital opened a brand-new emergency department, offering a much-needed upgrade from the existing one built in the 1960s, with all-private rooms for patients. The hospital hired a new orthopedic surgeon in January 2026 and is expanding orthopedic services to bring additional specialty care to the local community. The hospital’s investment in resources and expertise reflects a commitment to keeping quality care accessible to the Sandersville community and surrounding areas, bringing meaningful clinical and financial turnarounds.
West Jefferson Medical Center (Marrero, La.). West Jefferson Medical Center is a 324-bed full-service medical center founded by the citizens of Jefferson Parish in 1956, serving as the healthcare backbone of the Westbank across three parishes. The community medical center has earned national recognition from Healthgrades as one of “America’s 250 Best Hospitals” and the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award,” placing it among the top 10% of short-term acute care hospitals in the country. The hospital has been recognized as the No. 1 socially responsible hospital in Louisiana by the Lown Institute and holds consistent Leapfrog “A” safety grades along with the American Heart Association “Mission: Lifeline Gold Award” for emergency medical services excellence. The hospital has completed a $75 million capital expansion to modernize the emergency department, outpatient surgery center and patient access points, and has implemented Mako SmartRobotics for joint replacement procedures to enhance precision and improve recovery outcomes. For more than 35 years, the hospital has served as the primary emergency medical services provider for the Westbank, integrating advanced tools like real-time electrocardiogram transmission and mechanical CPR systems to accelerate treatment for heart attack and stroke patients. The hospital offers “Navigator+,” a tool providing real-time updates to patients and families during emergency and hospital visits, and holds a level 2 geriatric emergency department accreditation to serve a growing older adult population. West Jefferson has also achieved the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative “Birth Ready+” designation, ensuring high-quality evidence-based care for mothers and newborns.
Westerly (R.I.) Hospital. Westerly Hospital is a 125-bed nonprofit community hospital founded in 1925. It is now a member of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health, and has received the Press Ganey “Guardian of Excellence Award” for patient experience in 2023, 2024 and 2025, recognizing sustained performance at the 95th percentile or higher nationwide across communication, care coordination and patient confidence. The hospital earned an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group in both spring and fall 2025, placing it among the nation’s top hospitals for preventing medical errors and harm. In 2026, Westerly Hospital earned the “Pediatric Innovator” designation from the Rhode Island Emergency Medical Services for Children program after scoring 98 out of 100 for pediatric readiness, care pathways and staff training. In 2024, the hospital provided $14.3 million in community benefit, including charity care, under-reimbursed Medicaid services, workforce training, public health education and nonprofit partnerships, with thousands of patients receiving free or discounted care and investments targeting health equity, chronic disease prevention and access to behavioral health services. The hospital has been ranked among the top hospitals in Rhode Island by national evaluators and recognized for excellence in outpatient experience and minimally invasive care.
Windham Hospital (Willimantic, Conn.). Windham Hospital is a 130-bed community hospital that is part of Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare and was named a Leapfrog “Top General Hospital” in both 2024 and 2025, making it one of only 36 hospitals nationwide to earn the distinction in 2025 thanks to superior performance in patient safety, infection prevention, maternity care, medication safety and surgical outcomes. The hospital earned the 2026 Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award,” ranking within the top hospitals nationally for preventing injuries and errors. It has also received Healthgrades 5-star ratings for total knee replacement for four consecutive years, as well as for treatment of sepsis. In September 2025, the hospital partnered with Eastern Connecticut State University and Hartford HealthCare’s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation to open a 6,500-square-foot, hospital-based nursing simulation lab, the largest nurse training facility in eastern Connecticut. The project was supported by a $1.2 million state grant. In September 2024, the hospital launched a new on-site food pantry and 3,000-square-foot hydroponic garden, producing fresh vegetables distributed free to patients, staff and community members experiencing food insecurity. The hospital’s community health case management program coordinates care for highly vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness and seniors at risk of institutionalization, and the “A OK with HHC” program brings preventive screenings for blood pressure and diabetes directly into neighborhoods and community spaces. Windham Hospital has earned straight “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group, a designation shared by all Hartford HealthCare acute care hospitals.
Wooster (Ohio) Community Hospital Health System. Wooster Community Hospital Health System is the largest nonprofit healthcare system in northeastern Ohio’s Wayne County, with a 172-bed acute care hospital and multiple clinics. It was also the first hospital in Ohio built through the support of a city and joint township hospital district. The health system received ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification from DNV in April 2026, and was named to Forbes‘ inaugural “Top Hospitals” list in December 2025. In February 2026, the community hospital opened its new, state-of-the-art Richard and Donna Smetzer Emergency Center, a $34 million, 44,000-square-foot facility with an expanded emergency department and enhanced mental healthcare capabilities, supported by a $1 million state grant from Ohio. The American Heart Association recognized the health system with its “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus” with “Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite,” “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll” and “Rural Stroke Gold” 2025 award. A “Freeing Up Nurses Time” initiative launched in 2024 with the KLAS Arch Collaborative is projected to save nurses approximately 1,600 hours annually through workflow and documentation improvements driven directly by frontline nurses. The system offers the “Iris Program,” providing 24/7 forensic nursing care to victims of rape and sexual assault. The system also operates an Columbus-based OhioHealth “Mothers’ Milk Bank” dispensary, becoming the third site in Ohio where pasteurized donor milk can be obtained with a prescription.
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