Forbes’ data-driven ranking system identified general acute care hospitals across the country offering high-quality healthcare services

BUFFALO, NY—Being named to the inaugural Forbes Top Hospital 2026 list (https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals/) ECMC again receives national third-party recognition for delivering high-quality healthcare services to the residents of Western New York.

According to Forbes, “To produce the Forbes Top Hospitals rating system, we enlisted healthcare measurement experts, including an advisory panel—comprised of clinicians, scientists, health policy researchers, and patient advocates—and partnered with Inovalon, a healthcare data and analytics firm, to calculate the ratings. The foundation of our methodology is validated, vetted data extracted from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider Data Catalog (PDC). From this dataset, we identified healthcare quality measures that assess patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value, and patient experience. These measures were chosen specifically because they have been developed and regularly tested by leaders in the healthcare community to meet rigorous national standards.

 

Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, CEO of ECMC, said, “Earning this national recognition from Forbes is yet another important, evidence-based confirmation of ECMC’s best-in-class, high-quality healthcare services delivered by our dedicated, experienced caregivers. Over the best year, several national surveys and accreditations,  including the National College of Surgeons, the Joint Commission, Healthgrades, and Newsweek, have all lauded ECMC for our commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest quality care for our community.”

Using a data-driven ranking system, Forbes identified general acute care hospitals across the country that offer high-quality healthcare services. Developed in collaboration with an expert advisory panel of clinicians, scientists, health policy researchers, and patient advocates, the rating system evaluated hospitals based on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value, and patient experience. These measures were developed and tested by community healthcare leaders and chosen for meeting rigorous national standards. Forbes partnered with Inovalon, a healthcare data and analytics firm, to calculate the ratings.

Approximately 5,400 general acute care hospitals—listed in the CMS PDC and currently operating in the U.S.—were eligible for consideration. From that initial pool, approximately 2,600 hospitals met the Forbes Top Hospital List inclusion criteria, with 259 hospitals earning a five-star overall ranking, 520 hospitals, including ECMC,  receiving a four-star overall rating, and 519 hospitals receiving an overall rating of 3 stars.

Further from Forbes, “Central to the methodology is its emphasis on clinical patient outcomes (such as rates of mortality, survival, infection, and readmissions). These measures were given the greatest weight and therefore had the greatest influence on each hospital’s overall rating. Additionally, these outcomes were statistically adjusted for social drivers of health (SDOH)—such as socioeconomics and access to medical services—because SDOH have been shown to impact outcomes. By adjusting for these factors in the communities surrounding each hospital, our ratings were designed to provide a more level comparison of each hospital’s quality, despite differences among hospitals’ locations and patient populations.”