Top rated hospitals for cardiac care by state: A data-based national comparison

Top rated hospitals for cardiac care by state are identified through several distinct evaluation systems rather than one universal list. The available research includes U.S. News state scores, Healthgrades cardiac-care awards, Newsweek’s national specialty ranking, American College of Cardiology designation data, and other outcomes-based assessments.

How cardiac-care rankings are constructed

U.S. News evaluated nearly 500 hospitals for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, narrowing an initial group of 665 facilities to 488 after minimum procedure-volume and referral-pattern checks. Its evaluation covers abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, arrhythmia, coronary artery bypass surgery, heart attack, heart failure, pacemaker implantation, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. 1

In the U.S. News methodology described in the research, survival accounts for 45% of the score, while other measures include discharge-to-home rates, readmission prevention, and patient experience. A separate 2026 report states that 41 risk-adjusted patient outcomes comprise 80% of the newer heart-hospital score, showing that methodology changes can affect comparisons between publication years. 1 8

Hospitals at the top of national comparisons

Newsweek’s 2026 cardiac-care ranking places Mayo Clinic in Rochester first, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center second, Cleveland Clinic third, NYU Langone Hospital-Tisch Hospital fourth, and Johns Hopkins Hospital fifth. Listed specialties include coronary angioplasty and stent placement, coronary artery disease, bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, and heart transplant care. 3

U.S. News’ 2026-2027 national list reported by Becker’s places NYU Langone Hospitals first with a score of 97.5, followed by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell at 89.9, Mayo Clinic at 83.3, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 83.1, and Mount Sinai Hospital at 82.6. Massachusetts General Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Cleveland Clinic also appear among the leading facilities. 7

State-level examples from U.S. News

U.S. News state reporting identifies a leading facility and total score in several jurisdictions. The reported entries include University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, 56.1; Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, 56.2; Mayo Clinic-Arizona in Phoenix, 72; Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, 48.5; and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, 83.1. 1

Additional reported state leaders include Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado, at 63; Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, at 61.4; ChristianaCare Hospitals in Delaware, at 48.5; and MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute in the District of Columbia. California had 20 high-performing cardiology hospitals in the cited U.S. News analysis, while New York had 10, the two largest state totals identified in the report. 1

Healthgrades cardiac-care recognition

Healthgrades evaluated about 4,500 hospitals across 31 procedures and conditions for its 2026 Specialty Excellence Awards. Its Cardiac Care Excellence Award examines outcomes in heart bypass surgery, coronary interventional procedures, heart valve surgery, heart attack, and heart failure. Florida had 11 hospitals on the Healthgrades 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care list, the highest state total reported. 2

The Healthgrades state examples include HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona; seven California facilities including Cedars-Sinai, Stanford Hospital, UC Davis Medical Center, UC San Diego Health Hillcrest, and UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center; and three Connecticut hospitals, Danbury Hospital, Hartford Hospital, and Yale New Haven Hospital. Christiana Hospital in Delaware and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia were also listed. 2

Quality designations beyond ranking position

The American College of Cardiology HeartCARE Center designation is different from a numerical ranking. It recognizes hospitals and health systems that participate in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs, National Cardiovascular Data Registry programs, and targeted quality-improvement initiatives. The designation emphasizes coordinated, patient-centered care and continuing efforts to close gaps in guideline-based treatment. 6

Healthgrades’ state-ranking methodology uses Medicare inpatient data from the 2022 through 2024 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file. It analyzes outcomes for 31 conditions and procedures, including bypass surgery, coronary interventions, heart attack, heart failure, and valve surgery. These criteria mean that recognition generally depends on measured clinical performance, eligible patient groups, and available inpatient data rather than reputation alone. 5

How to interpret a hospital’s rating

Different lists measure different questions. Newsweek combines clinical performance, patient outcomes, and expert input, while U.S. News uses outcomes-focused procedures and conditions ratings. Money’s cardiac-care assessment used Denniston Data and required hospitals to have at least 10 active cardiologists or cardiac surgeons; 46 hospitals received its A+ rating. 3 9

A national or state designation does not establish that one hospital is appropriate for every patient or every procedure. Cardiac care can involve emergency treatment, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, surgery, transplant, rehabilitation, and follow-up. Relevant questions include whether the facility performs the needed procedure, how its outcomes are measured, whether referral requirements apply, and how travel, insurance, and continuity of care affect the decision.

Comparing performance with practical constraints

Premier’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals program uses quantitative analysis of publicly available data and does not require hospitals to apply or pay to market the distinction. Its 2026 analysis compared recognized hospitals with similar peer institutions across 21 measures covering clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, extended outcomes, and patient experience. 10

Rankings also have limitations. Eligibility thresholds can exclude smaller hospitals with lower procedure volumes, even when they provide important local services. Referral-pattern checks may favor major centers, and data drawn from particular years may not reflect current staffing, equipment, service lines, or physician availability. Patients and clinicians should therefore treat rankings as comparison evidence, not as a substitute for individualized medical evaluation or a review of procedure-specific outcomes.

Sources

1. Becker’s Cardiology, “The top heart hospitals by state: US News”
2. Becker’s Cardiology, “Top 100 hospitals for cardiac care: Healthgrades”
3. Newsweek, “America’s Best Hospitals for Specialized Care 2026: Cardiac Care”
4. U.S. News & World Report, 2026-2027 Best Hospitals announcement
5. Healthgrades, “Specialty State Ranking Award Methodology”
6. Becker’s Cardiology, “The only 100 hospitals to earn ACC’s highest heart care designation”
7. Becker’s Cardiology, “50 best hospitals for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery”
8. Cardiovascular Business, “The best hospitals in the United States for heart care”
9. Becker’s Cardiology, “46 top cardiac care hospitals: Money”
10. Premier, “Modern Healthcare Presents the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Program”