For the third consecutive year, Washington Regional Medical Center has been recognized as the #1 hospital in Arkansas in the U.S. News & World Report 2023-24 Best Hospitals list. The annual Best Hospitals rankings are designed to assist patients and their doctors in choosing where to receive quality care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures. Washington Regional Medical Center was also named the Best Hospital in the Ozark Region for a fifth consecutive year.
“Washington Regional’s vision is to be both the best place for our patients to receive care and the best place for our team members to give that care. Washington Regional has led the way in high-quality health care in Northwest Arkansas since 1950, and these national rankings show that once again, Arkansans can count on Washington Regional to provide high-performing care for many of the most serious health conditions affecting our population,” Washington Regional President and CEO Larry Shackelford said. “This recognition honors the outstanding expertise and compassionate care provided by our medical, nursing and support staff team members and demonstrates our commitment to improving the health of people in the communities we serve in Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding region.”
For the 2023-2024 rankings and ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions; only 12% of evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals ranking. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience. The publication designated Washington Regional as high performing for 12 procedures and conditions – more than any other hospital in the state. A high-performing designation indicates a hospital performed significantly better than the national average in a given procedure or condition. The publication recognized Washington Regional as a high-performing hospital for:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Diabetes
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Hip fracture
- Hip replacement
- Kidney failure
- Knee replacement
- Lung cancer surgery
- Pneumonia
- Stroke
“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said. “Fewer than half of evaluated hospitals earned any High-Performing rating. Hospitals that are High-Performing have excelled in providing high-quality care in specific procedures and/or conditions.”
