Banner Health, one of the nation’s largest fully integrated nonprofit health systems, today announced that multiple hospitals across its system have received prestigious national recognitions in 2026 – further cementing its standing as one of the country’s top health systems for clinical quality, patient safety and compassionate care. With awards from Healthgrades, Forbes, and U.S. News & World Report, these honors collectively affirm what patients across Arizona and beyond experience every day: world-class care, close to home.
“Behind every national ranking is a person — a nurse who stayed late, a physician who went further, a team member who made a patient feel seen and cared for. Our people are the foundation of everything we do at Banner Health, and clinical excellence is simply what happens when extraordinary individuals show up every day with purpose and heart,” said Marjorie Bessel, MD, chief clinical officer at Banner Health. “To be recognized by so many leading organizations in the same year is humbling, but what truly inspires me is knowing that these awards represent the real work of serving our communities: our neighbors, our families, our friends. That is what Banner is built on, and that is what drives us forward.”
Healthgrades recognizes clinical excellence and patient safety
Six Banner Health hospitals have earned 2026 Healthgrades Awards, a distinction based solely on clinical outcomes data. This makes it one of the most objective measures of hospital performance available to patients. These awards help patients identify top-rated hospitals in their communities and signal that Banner consistently delivers care that meets the highest national standards. Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix has earned America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™ for 2024, 2025, and now 2026 — placing it in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for three consecutive years. Meanwhile, Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner Ironwood Medical Center, Banner North Colorado Medical Center, and Banner – University Medical Center Tucson have earned the new 2026 Healthgrades Awards recognizing superior clinical performance. Additionally, Banner Ocotillo Medical Center received a Patient Safety Excellence Award™ for the second consecutive year. This recognition honors hospitals in the top 10% in the nation for patient safety and with the lowest occurrences of 13 preventable patient safety events.
Banner recognized on inaugural Forbes Top Hospitals list
Numerous Banner Health hospitals also earned a place on the Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026 list, a significant milestone in the inaugural year of the state-specific designation. The Banner hospitals on the list spanned across Arizona and include Banner Del. E Webb Medical Center, Banner Boswell Medical Center, Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner – University Medical Center South, Banner Payson Medical Center, and Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. And of the 16 hospitals ranked in Arizona on the inaugural list, six are with Banner Health. The list is based on a rigorous national ratings system assessing general acute care hospitals across the United States. To be included on the state list, hospitals must first meet the criteria for evaluation on the national list. From that group, Forbes identified the top 30% of hospitals in each state based on star rating percentiles. Ultimately, less than 800 hospitals nationwide earned this designation.
This recognition spans Banner’s network, reflecting the system’s broad and consistent commitment to delivering high-quality acute care to patients across the state, from large metropolitan medical centers to community hospitals serving smaller and rural populations.
U.S. News & World Report gives Banner top rankings
Banner Health hospitals continue to earn top rankings in the U.S. News & World Report 2026–2027 Best Hospitals rankings, one of the most trusted and rigorous evaluations in American healthcare, assessing hospitals on patient outcomes, safety, advanced technologies, and specialties. Banner – University Medical Center Tucson ranked first in the Tucson region, while Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, ranked third in Arizona.
“Tucson is a vibrant and diverse community, and all people here deserve access to the highest level of care close to home. These recognitions affirm that our team is delivering exactly that,” said Alison Flynn Gaffney, chief executive officer of Banner – University Medicine Tucson. “It is a privilege to serve our southern Arizona community.”
Banner Boswell Medical Center ranked sixth in the state, demonstrating our dedication to quality care in the West Valley. In specialty care, Banner Rehabilitation Hospital Phoenix was named the top rehabilitation hospital in the state and in the Phoenix metro region, earning top honors in the first year that state and regional rankings for rehabilitation hospitals were introduced.
These rankings reflect Banner’s sustained investment in clinical quality and its ability to deliver excellent care across its academic and community hospital network.
“The communities we serve have placed their trust in us — and that trust is something we never take for granted,” said Dr. Bessel. “Every award we receive is a reminder of the responsibility we carry and the standard we are committed to upholding.”
Banner Health is proud to be nationally recognized — but more importantly, proud to be the health system communities across Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Nevada, and California call their own. To learn more about Banner Health, visit bannerhealth.com/About.
About Banner Health
Banner Health’s mission is to make health care easier, so life can be better. As one of the nation’s largest fully integrated nonprofit health systems, we are pioneering a sustainable care model that prioritizes prevention, manages chronic disease, and reduces health spending – succeeding when patients stay healthy, not when they get sick. We operate 33 hospitals and more than 400 sites across six states, delivering seamless care from primary to quaternary medicine, including health insurance, physician networks, world-renowned specialty services, and behavioral health. Accountable to the communities we serve, we reinvest every dollar into advancing care, research, and facilities, providing more than $1 billion each year in community benefit. Through our partnership with the University of Arizona, we drive clinical discoveries across more than 800 trials and train more than 1,300 residents and fellows annually. Headquartered in Arizona, we serve Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. Our hospitals are consistently ranked among Arizona’s top-performing by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/about
