373 hospitals ranked among the nation's top 15% for excellence in patient experience

DENVER, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use to find a doctor or hospital, today announced the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™. This award recognizes hospitals that excel at delivering top-quality care while ensuring a positive patient experience. This year's recipients include 373 hospitals from 46 states and represent the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience.

Among the 2026 recipients, 80 hospitals are dual recipients of both the Outstanding Patient Experience Award and the Patient Safety Excellence Award. Only 16 hospitals earned Outstanding Patient Experience, Patient Safety Excellence, and America's Best Hospitals distinctions for 2026.

"Better patient experiences are correlated with better health outcomes, which is why patients should always consider patient experience during the care search," said Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. "Healthgrades' Outstanding Patient Experience Award recognizes hospitals that prioritize high-quality, patient-centered care and ensure that patients feel heard, empowered, and confident throughout the care journey."

For this annual analysis, Healthgrades evaluated Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient survey data across 10 key patient experience measures–ranging from room cleanliness to care explanations–to determine the nation's best hospitals for patient experience. Recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Award earned the highest overall experience scores, reflecting an unwavering commitment to exceptional, individualized care.

Healthgrades' analysis also identified three aspects of patient experience that best predict whether a patient will recommend a hospital to friends and family:*

• Doctor communication
• Nurse communication
• Clear communication about care when discharged

View the full Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient list and Outstanding Patient Experience Award Methodology on healthgrades.com.

^*Healthgrades evaluated 3,020 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), covering admissions from January 2024 to December 2024. Hospitals in the bottom 20% for overall clinical quality were excluded from consideration.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

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SOURCE Healthgrades