DENVER – October 29, 2026 -- Healthgrades has named the recipients of its 2027 Specialty Excellence Awards, Outpatient Awards and Specialty State Rankings, giving patients a way to compare hospitals by specialty, procedure and state. The announcement comes with new Healthgrades research: 80% of patients who have looked or plan to look for a doctor this year consider the quality of the hospital where that doctor practices.
The preference is strong. When choosing between two doctors for a procedure, 68% of patients say they are more likely to pick the one at a hospital with high quality ratings for their condition. According to the research, 71% would switch doctors to reach a higher-rated hospital.
Why the hospital's rating can matter
Healthgrades points to a growing gap between top performers and one-star hospitals. Its analysis estimates that if all hospitals had performed at the five-star level from 2023 to 2025, 227,229 lives could potentially have been saved and 158,138 complications avoided. These figures are three-year estimates based on MedPAR data and cover Medicare patients only.
Specialty Excellence Award winners rank in the top 15 percent
Healthgrades evaluated outcomes at roughly 4,500 hospitals across 31 common procedures and conditions. The awards cover 19 specialty care areas. From those recipients, the company also names America's 100 Best Hospitals for Specialty Care in 11 specialty areas and America's 50 Best in four.
To be eligible, a hospital must have a rating in every procedure and condition that feeds the award. The Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award rests on a single procedure. The Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award combines heart bypass surgery and heart valve surgery.
Outpatient hip and knee replacements surged from 2020 to 2025
The Outpatient Awards honor national leaders in outpatient orthopedic surgery, joint replacement and prostate care. Outpatient hip replacement volumes rose 81% from 2020 to 2025, while inpatient volumes fell 75%. Outpatient knee replacements grew 71% as inpatient volumes dropped 70%. Healthgrades bases both comparisons on Medicare patient data.
State Rankings list the top three or five local hospitals
The Specialty State Rankings identify the highest-performing hospitals across 19 specialties in 30 eligible states, so patients can find strong options close to home.
Alana Biggers, MD MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades, called informed decisions about where to get care "a cornerstone of self-advocacy."
Healthgrades has also launched a Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center. It includes an infographic explaining how award recipients are chosen and a list of the nation's top hospitals for specialty care. Health system audiences can read the "2027 Specialty Excellence Report."