Forbes unveiled its inaugural Top Hospitals 2026 rankings on Dec. 4, evaluating U.S. general acute care hospitals based on quality, clinical outcomes, value, and patient experience. The new ranking is designed to differ from traditional hospital scorecards by relying heavily on publicly available CMS data and placing the greatest emphasis on measurable patient outcomes.
According to Forbes, the methodology stands out in three key ways: it draws primarily from CMS’ Provider Data Catalog, assigns the most weight to clinical outcomes such as mortality and readmission rates, and adjusts results to account for social drivers of health. Hospitals received one- to five-star ratings across four categories—outcomes, best practices, value, and patient experience—to calculate an overall score.
Clinical outcomes accounted for 55% of a hospital’s total rating, followed by best practices (20%), value (15%), and patient experience (10%). Using this approach, Forbes recognized 253 hospitals nationwide with an overall five-star rating. Children’s hospitals and psychiatric hospitals were excluded from the analysis.
In Alabama, Southeast Health Medical Center in Dothan earned a five-star rating, making it the only hospital in the state to receive this distinction in the inaugural rankings. The recognition reflects strong performance across nationally reported quality measures tied to patient outcomes and care delivery.
We extend our congratulations to the staff and physicians at Southeast Health Medical Center, and thank our clients who support care delivery at this organization. This recognition underscores the dedication, expertise, and commitment of healthcare professionals working every day to improve patient outcomes and experiences across the region.