Healthgrades Names America's Top Hospitals for Patient Experience 2026
HSS announced today that it has been named a 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use to find a doctor or hospital. This award recognizes hospitals that excel at delivering top-quality care while ensuring a positive patient experience. This achievement reflects HSS's commitment to superior, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience for the third consecutive year.
"Better patient experiences are correlated with better health outcomes, which is why patients should always strive to seek care at a facility with a clear dedication to high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “As an Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient, HSS sets the benchmark for patient experience nationwide, ensuring that every patient feels 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 announcement, 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.
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 16th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2025-2026). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
