Hundreds of hospitals across the United States have been acknowledged for their commitment to patient safety, and some states distinctly lead in the number of top-rated hospitals.
This month, Healthgrades, a platform focused on helping individuals find doctors, healthcare providers, and hospitals, disclosed its 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Awards. They identified 438 hospitals in 40 states that rank in the top 10% nationwide for patient safety.
The selection process involved assessing 13 patient safety indicators, emphasizing facilities that excel in avoiding serious, preventable complications during hospital stays.
Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania stood out with the highest number of award-winning hospitals—a range from 21 to as many as 62 according to Healthgrades data reported by MedPage Today. The prominence of these states might relate to their larger number of overall hospitals.
A spokesperson from Healthgrades noted that the abundance of award recipients in certain states could simply be due to the sheer quantity of hospitals present there.
The findings, however, indicate strong safety practices in densely populated regions, especially in major cities like Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and New York City.
Patients treated in these recognized hospitals enjoy a notably lower risk for several common and serious safety incidents that usually lead to complications during hospital stays. For instance, patients at these facilities were 52.4% less likely to experience falls and fractures, 57.5% less likely to have procedure-related lung collapses, and 71.9% less likely to develop pressure ulcers.
These four specific metrics make up about 78% of all patient safety events, and Healthgrades estimates that over 100,000 such events could potentially be avoided each year if all hospitals performed at the same level as this year’s winners.
Dr. Alana Biggers, a Medical Advisor at Healthgrades, remarked that the data supporting this year’s awards illustrate how tangible improvements in safety can avert thousands of complications. She also highlighted the importance of hospitals prioritizing evidence-based practices, which lead to better outcomes and foster a patient-first culture.
The award determinations were based on an analysis of Medicare inpatient data, taking into consideration complications, mortality rates, and preventable safety incidents.
To qualify for the award, hospitals had to adhere to strict clinical standards and demonstrate zero occurrences of critical errors, such as retaining foreign objects post-procedure.
In total, 250 hospitals emerged in the top 5% for safety across the country, many linked to prominent healthcare systems like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and HCA Healthcare.
Interestingly, ten states—Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia—had no hospitals represented on the list.
Experts suggest that issues like the shortage of rural hospitals and the existence of “health deserts” may heighten these disparities, with patients in underserved regions often facing longer travel distances and arriving with more severe symptoms.
Healthgrades also noted that nearly a third of the hospitals receiving recognition this year were first-time recipients, highlighting ongoing shifts in hospital performance and safety practices across the nation.
