Prime Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest physician-led health systems, is proud to announce that twelve of its hospitals have been named to the inaugural Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 list. This recognition reflects the system’s national scale, clinical excellence, and longstanding commitment to preserving access to high-quality, compassionate care in communities that need it most.
Among the approximately 2,500 hospitals that met the inclusion criteria for analysis, 253 hospitals nationwide earned a five star score, three of which were Prime Healthcare facilities: East Liverpool City Hospital in East Liverpool, Ohio; Harlingen Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas; and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, Texas.
Nine additional Prime hospitals were among the 509 hospitals that earned a four star score: Lake Huron Medical Center in Port Huron, Michigan; Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas; Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, California; Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada; St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, Illinois; St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California; St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri; and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs, Missouri.
These twelve Prime hospitals represent a distinguished group of high-performing facilities recognized for excellence in patient outcomes, evidence-based practices, value, and patient experience. Their inclusion reflects Prime Healthcare’s mission-driven approach to strengthening community hospitals that serve as essential anchors in their regions.
Dr. Sunny Bhatia, President and Corporate Chief Medical Officer of Prime Healthcare, noted, “To be recognized on Forbes’ inaugural Top Hospitals list is both an honor and a meaningful validation of Prime Healthcare’s physician-led model of delivering exceptional clinical care. These distinctions highlight the expertise, compassion, and commitment of our caregivers, who elevate standards of care in every community we serve. I am deeply proud of their dedication and inspired by what we are building together to strengthen community hospitals throughout the nation.”
Forbes developed the Top Hospitals rankings in collaboration with Inovalon and national quality experts, using validated, publicly reported measures from the CMS Provider Data Catalog. The methodology evaluates key aspects of care, with patient outcomes carrying the greatest weight, and adjusts outcome measures for social drivers of health to support equitable comparisons among hospitals serving diverse populations. This rigorous, transparent approach reinforces Prime Healthcare’s longstanding record of transforming and sustaining community hospitals across the country.
Prime Healthcare’s performance on the inaugural Forbes list builds on a strong record of national recognition. In 2025, Prime hospitals earned more than 150 clinical quality awards from Healthgrades and have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” by Premier a total of 72 times. Prime has also been recognized by the Lown Institute as a Top 10 Health System for social responsibility, health equity, and clinical outcomes, reflecting the strength of its physician-led leadership and its enduring mission to support community hospitals.
Additional details on the Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 methodology are available at www.forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals.
