Trending Now - Five States Ranked for Highest Number of Safe Hospitals
WHO:
Healthgrades, a platform for finding doctors, healthcare providers, and hospitals
Dr. Alana Biggers, a medical advisor at Healthgrades
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, discussed wellness and fitness on ‘Fox & Friends First’
WHAT:
Healthgrades released its 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award, recognizing 438 hospitals across 40 states
Five states had the highest number of hospitals earning the distinction: Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
Award recipients ranged from 21 to 62 hospitals per state
Patients at award-winning facilities were 52.4% less likely to experience an in-hospital fall resulting in fracture, 57.5% less likely to suffer a collapsed lung related to procedures, 67.8% less likely to develop catheter-related bloodstream infections, and 71.9% less likely to develop pressure sores
More than 100,000 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024 if all hospitals performed at the same level as this year’s recipients
250 hospitals ranked in the top 5% nationwide for safety, including facilities affiliated with Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and HCA Healthcare
10 states had no hospitals on the list: Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia
Nearly one-third of this year’s recognized hospitals were new to the list
WHERE:
States with the highest number of safe hospitals: Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
Major metro areas mentioned: Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and New York City
WHEN:
The report was released in March 2026
The analysis is based on Medicare inpatient data from 2022 to 2024
WHY:
The concentration of high-performing hospitals in certain states may be driven by the size of the hospital network in those states
Gaps in access to high-quality care may be due to rural hospital shortages and "care deserts"
HOW:
The award is based on an analysis of 13 patient safety indicators, including infections and complications
Hospitals were required to report zero cases of serious errors, such as leaving a foreign object behind during a procedure
(UPDATED March 22, 2026 17:20 UTC)
Healthgrades has announced its 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award, recognizing 438 hospitals across 40 states for their outstanding safety performance. The analysis, based on Medicare inpatient data from 2022 to 2024, revealed that patients at these award-winning facilities were significantly less likely to experience serious complications, with over 100,000 patient safety events potentially avoidable if all hospitals matched their standards. Notably, Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania had the highest number of recognized hospitals, while ten states, including Alabama and Alaska, had none on the list.