Newsweek’s Best-in-State Hospitals list ranks UVA Health No. 1 hospital in Virginia

Newsweek’s Best-in-State Hospitals 2025 list ranks UVA Health University Medical Center as Virginia’s No. 1 hospital.

“This is a well-deserved honor earned through the hard work and commitment of every member of our team,” Dr. K. Craig Kent, chief executive officer for UVA Health and executive vice president for health affairs at UVA, said. “I commend our caregivers and thank them for what they do every day to serve our patients.”

The news publication’s rankings were based on several factors, including:

• online surveys of healthcare professionals, who were asked to recommend hospitals (other than where they work) and then rate those hospitals on several quality measures, including quality of care, staffing, accessibility, communication and support of staff, patient education, accommodations and amenities;
• publicly available patient survey data, which included ratings on cleanliness, communication by nurses and doctors, care transitions, communication about medicines, discharge information, quietness and staff responsiveness;
• hospital quality metrics from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which include mortality, patient safety and readmission rates along with timely and effective care;
• accreditations, such as Magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center; and data from the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals Database.

The ranking comes during a period of remarkable growth and increased demand for UVA Health’s expert care. In the last five years, the health system has experienced a 54 percent rise in the number of unique patients seeking services. Since 2019, surgical procedures have increased by 65 percent, hospital admissions have risen by 62 percent and emergency department visits have quadrupled. In the last year, UVA Health providers supported almost 1.3 million outpatient encounters, a 55 percent increase since 2019. University Medical Center, the flagship hospital of the health system, accounts for the majority of these outpatient visits and surgeries, reflecting its critical role in delivering world-class care.

“To deliver on our mission to provide the best care for our patients across Virginia and beyond, we are proud to have the best people,” Wendy Horton, chief executive officer of UVA Health University Medical Center, said. “Along with strides in recruitment, we are committed to making UVA Health a best place to work, where the most compassionate and dedicated team members can thrive and drive our ability to provide the highest-quality care to every patient, every day.”

The health system is continuing its record-setting pace of new physician recruitment to help support the increased demand, with a total of 126 new physicians hired since July 1 of this year, inclusive of more than 500 new physicians being hired as UVA School of Medicine faculty since 2021. The surge in hiring additional physicians also reinforces UVA Health’s commitment to retention and becoming a best place to work. Retention rates among UVA Health team members surpass regional and national averages. The UVA School of Medicine faculty physician departure rate of 5.1 percent in fiscal year 2024 remains significantly below the national average of more than 8 percent. Notably, UVA’s annual faculty physician departure rate has declined for four straight years. Combined with exceptional registered nurse and overall team member retention rates, the fact highlights UVA Health’s ability to attract and retain top-tier talent.

The honor follows accolades for UVA Health earlier this year in Newsweek’s “Best Specialized Hospitals” list, which ranked seven specialties at UVA Health University Medical Center and UVA Health Children’s as No. 1 in Virginia and among the top 50 nationally.