For the fourth consecutive year, Stony Brook Medicine has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2026. This recognition places Stony Brook Medicine among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide for overall care excellence. It is also the only institution on Long Island to receive this distinction. The award covers Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, which are evaluated collectively by Healthgrades.
William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine, stated: “This honor speaks to the shared focus across Stony Brook Medicine on providing exceptional care for each and every patient. Receiving this achievement for the fourth year in a row reflects the daily collaboration of our teams in maintaining an exemplary standard of care throughout the organization.”
Carol A. Gomes, chief executive officer of Stony Brook University Hospital, commented: “The outstanding care found at Stony Brook is made possible by a deep commitment to the highest standards of quality and continuous improvement across our entire health system. I am sincerely grateful to our physicians, nurses and all members of our healthcare team whose compassion, expertise and dedication make excellence possible every day.”
Healthgrades determines its list based solely on patient outcomes. The evaluation process involves analyzing risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 common conditions and procedures at about 4,500 hospitals across the United States.
According to Healthgrades’ analysis, there are significant differences in outcomes between top-performing hospitals and others nationwide. If all hospitals performed similarly to those ranked among America’s 50 Best during the study period from 2022 through 2024, an estimated 209,081 lives could have been saved among Medicare patients.
Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades said: “This year’s America’s Best Hospitals list gives patients a clearer picture of where high-quality care is delivered most consistently. Patients can feel confident in their decision to seek care from Stony Brook Medicine, an organization that is setting the standard for clinical excellence nationwide.”
The hospital system recently received several specialty awards as well.
More information about how Healthgrades identifies national leaders in clinical excellence can be found at Healthgrades’ America’s Best Patient Advocate Center. Details about methodology are available through Healthgrades’ published materials.
