Top Hospitals for Patient Experience in 2026

• Healthgrades recently announced the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Awards.
• The awards recognize hospitals that excel at delivering top-quality care while ensuring a positive patient experience.
• The 2026 recipients include 373 hospitals from 46 states and represent the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience.

Healthgrades has announced the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Awards, which recognize “hospitals that excel at delivering top-quality care while ensuring a positive patient experience.”

The recipients for this year represent the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience and include 373 hospitals from 46 states.

Texas is home to the most 2026 award-winners, with 31 hospitals recognized, followed by Wisconsin with 28, Pennsylvania with 25, and California and Ohio with 23 each.

Of this year’s winners, only 16 hospitals were triple recipients, earning the Outstanding Patient Experience, Patient Safety Excellence, and America’s Best Hospitals distinctions.

However, 80 hospitals were dual recipients, earning both the Outstanding Patient Experience Award and the Patient Safety Excellence Award.

“Better patient experiences are correlated with better health outcomes, which is why patients should always consider patient experience during the care search,” Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades, said in a press release.

“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.”

To determine the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Awards, Healthgrades analyzed Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data collected from patients and submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The surveys ask patients about multiple aspects of their hospital experience, including:

• communication with doctors and nurses
• staff responsiveness
• discharge information
• room cleanliness
• hospital quietness

Hospitals were required to submit at least 100 surveys to be considered for the awards.

Healthgrades evaluated hospitals across 10 patient experience measures to identify facilities with the highest overall patient experience scores nationwide.

According to the organization, doctor communication, nurse communication, and clear communication during discharge were the factors most strongly associated with whether patients would recommend a hospital to friends and family.

Healthgrades also noted that the findings highlight the important role communication and patient-centered care can play in how patients perceive their hospital experience.

While awards like these recognize hospitals for high quality performance, experts say they can also help patients make more informed choices about where they receive care.

However, Healthgrades also notes that these awards are not recommendations or endorsements for particular hospitals, and patient experience scores should not be used alone to determine a hospital’s quality of care.

Patients should consider multiple factors when making healthcare decisions, including their own medical needs, physician recommendations, insurance coverage, and access to specialty care.

The full 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Awards recipient list and methodology are available on the Healthgrades website.

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