Healthgrades has announced the recipients of the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Awards, which recognize hospitals that excel at providing top-quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays. This year’s recipients represent the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety and include 438 hospitals from 40 states.

Healthgrades’ analysis found that more than 100,000 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024 if all hospitals had performed at the same level as those receiving a 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award. Patients treated at award-winning hospitals were also significantly less likely to experience the four most common patient safety indicators (PSIs)—serious but preventable complications that account for about 78% of all safety events. Those include:
– In-hospital falls that result in fractures (52.4% less likely)
– Collapsed lungs related to procedures or surgery around the chest (57.5% less likely)
– Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely)
– Pressure sores or bed sores developed during a hospital stay (71.9% less likely)

“The data behind this year’s Patient Safety Excellence Award highlights how measurable improvements in safety can prevent thousands of complications,” said Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “Hospitals that prioritize evidence-based safety practices not only achieve better clinical outcomes, but also cultivate a culture where patients come first. These insights give individuals and families the information they need to make confident and better informed healthcare decisions.”

Hospitals recognized with the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award were identified through an analysis by Healthgrades examining how well facilities prevent serious safety complications during hospital stays. Healthgrades analyzed hospital performance using inpatient MedPAR data and evaluated facilities across 13 patient safety indicators. These indicators track serious complications that can occur during hospital care, such as respiratory failure after surgery, surgical infections, and excessive bleeding following procedures.

The analysis compares hospital performance nationwide using risk-adjusted data to account for differences in patient populations. Results across the 13 indicators are combined into an overall patient safety score for each hospital, enabling facilities to be ranked by how effectively they prevent these complications. Hospitals that rank among the top 10% nationally for patient safety earn the Patient Safety Excellence Award.

To qualify, facilities must also meet several eligibility requirements, including meeting clinical quality thresholds, reporting data on at least seven of eight core patient safety indicators, and having no documented cases of foreign objects left in patients during a procedure.

Hospital rankings and safety awards can provide useful guidance for patients comparing facilities, particularly when they highlight measurable differences in outcomes, such as complication rates and preventable safety events. “Rankings like those offered by Healthgrades should be able to assist healthcare consumers in making better decisions for themselves and their loved ones,” said Robert Bonar, Dr.H.A., the Gordon A. Friesen Professor of Healthcare Administration at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Experts note these ratings are best used as one tool among many when choosing where to receive care. Factors such as a patient’s specific medical needs, individual physicians’ experience, and recommendations from trusted healthcare providers can also play an important role. Bonar advised that patients prioritize sources that base recommendations on statistically sound outcomes, measurable data, complication rates, and morbidity and mortality data. Looking at multiple sources—including hospital safety ratings, patient reviews, and conversations with healthcare professionals—can help patients get a more complete picture when evaluating options.

The full Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient list and methodology are available on the Healthgrades website.

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