Florida was a standout in Forbes’ inaugural Top Hospitals list, claiming 29 spots in the nation’s highest-rated 100 facilities.
The list, released Thursday, includes 11 Florida hospitals with an overall rating of five stars – the highest grade awarded. That was the second most of any state, trailing California’s 13. Eighteen more from Florida earned four stars.
Forbes said it produced the list to help consumers identify general acute care hospitals that consistently deliver high-quality, high-value care.
Hospitals were assessed on patient outcomes, best practices, value and patient experience, and Florida’s representation highlighted depth and excellence. The hospitals earning four or five stars in overall score made up the top 100.
ALSO READ: AdventHealth Orlando earns top Florida spot in annual hospital rankings by U.S. News
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville stood out as a multicategory leader, with five stars for overall performance, patient outcomes and patient experience.
Florida hospitals showed strength in patient outcomes, with a dozen facilities earning five stars in this category. Standouts include AdventHealth Daytona Beach, Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers and the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
High ratings for best practices were rarer. The category rewarded adherence to safety protocols, evidence-based standards and innovative care models. Florida still placed multiple hospitals, with five stars awarded to Baptist Health West Kendall Baptist Hospital, AdventHealth Fish Memorial, Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola and Memorial Hospital Miramar.
Consumer-focused metrics show a slightly different picture. Six Florida hospitals were rated five stars for value: AdventHealth Fish Memorial (Orange City), AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, Mease Dunedin Hospital, Memorial Hospital Miramar, Sarasota Memorial Hospital (Venice campus), and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. Patient experience ratings mirrored this pattern, with the same six facilities at the top.
Of the roughly 2,500 hospitals that met Forbes’ inclusion criteria, 253 earned five‑star overall ratings and 509 earned four stars. The methodology used independently validated measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Large systems dominate the overall top scores, but select independent hospitals excel in specific areas, showing that excellence isn’t confined to the biggest names.
Forbes said the report was developed in collaboration with an advisory panel of clinicians, researchers, health policy experts and patient advocates, along with Inovalon, a health care data and analytics firm. Forbes specified there was no fee to be considered or selected.
Florida hospitals stars by category
| Hospital | All | Out | BP | Val | PE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdventHealth Daytona Beach | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| AdventHealth Fish Memorial (Orange City) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| AdventHealth Waterman (Tavares) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| AdventHealth Zephyrhills | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Baptist Health West Kendall (Miami) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Cleveland Clinic Indian River (Vero Beach) | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Lee Memorial (Fort Myers) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| No. Okaloosa Medical Center (Crestview) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Santa Rosa Medical Center (Milton) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Sarasota Memorial Hospital | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| AdventHealth DeLand | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| AdventHealth Palm Coast | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| AdventHealth Ocala | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| AdventHealth Wesley Chapel | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Ascension St. Vincent's Southside (Jacksonville) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Baptist Hospital (Pensacola) | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Holy Cross Health (Fort Lauderdale) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jupiter Medical Center (Jupiter) | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Lakewood Ranch Medical Center | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Mease Dunedin Hospital | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Memorial Hospital Miramar | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Sarasota Memorial (North Venice) | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| St. Joseph's Hospital (Tampa) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| UF Health Shands (Gainesville) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Viera Hospital (Melbourne) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
