Healthgrades has recognized 438 hospitals in 40 states for being the top 10% in the nation for patient safety. Texas had the most recognized facilities at 62.
The 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award recognizes hospitals that excel in quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays. The award was based on analysis of Medicare inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review from CMS. The data measured clinical performance across 13 patient safety indicators. Learn more about the methodology here.
Healthgrades found that four patient safety indicators accounted for nearly 76% of all patient safety events between 2022 and 2024. Hospitals that were honored had a lower risk of experiencing the following adverse events:
- In-hospital fall resulting in fracture ((52.4% less likely)
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (57.5% less likely)
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (71.9% less likely)
If all hospitals performed similarly to the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award winners, 100,819 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024.
Find the award-winning hospitals here.
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