Huntsville Hospital has earned the top spot among Alabama hospitals in Newsweek and Statista’s 2026 America’s Best-in-State Hospitals ranking, while its health system is asking North Alabama residents to share their healthcare needs through a regional survey.
The recognition places Huntsville Hospital ahead of 14 other Alabama facilities included in the annual ranking. At the same time, the Community Health Needs Assessment gives residents across the region an opportunity to help shape future healthcare programs, services and investments.
Huntsville Hospital leads Alabama rankings
The fourth annual America’s Best-in-State Hospitals list recognized 15 Alabama hospitals among 800 leading facilities nationwide. Huntsville Hospital ranked first in the state, followed by Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham and Fayette Medical Center.
The ranking considers hospital quality, recommendations from medical professionals, patient experience and the use of patient-reported outcome measures. Its methodology assigns 50% of the total score to hospital quality, 28.5% to reputation, 15% to patient experience and 6.5% to patient-reported outcome measures.
This year’s evaluation also included updated quality metrics and additional healthcare accreditations. Hospitals were required to maintain an overall rating of at least three stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to qualify.
Health system asks residents about regional healthcare needs
Huntsville Hospital Health System is inviting residents across the 15 counties it serves to participate in its Community Health Needs Assessment survey, open through Nov. 13.
The survey asks about local health concerns, access to medical care and barriers that make it harder for people to stay healthy. It will also examine the needs of underserved populations and available resources in each community.
CEO Jeff Samz said the feedback will help the health system identify challenges and determine where to direct resources. Participation is open to everyone, including people who have not received care at a Huntsville Hospital Health System facility.
Residents can complete the survey through the online Community Health Needs Assessment by Nov. 13.
Alabama hospitals represented across the state
The rankings also recognized hospitals in Birmingham, Alexander City, Opelika, Foley, Dothan, Mobile, Gadsden and Decatur.
Fayette Medical Center was the only Alabama facility to receive a patient experience award for outstanding performance in that category. Birmingham had five hospitals in the top 15, including Grandview Medical Center, UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham, UAB St. Vincent’s East, Baptist Health Princeton Hospital and Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital.
Other recognized facilities included Russell Medical Center, East Alabama Medical Center, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Southeast Alabama Medical Center, USA Health Providence Hospital, Riverview Medical Center, Decatur Morgan Hospital and Springhill Medical Center.
Together, the hospital ranking and community survey highlight two aspects of healthcare in North Alabama: the region’s recognition in statewide hospital performance and the ongoing effort to understand what residents need from local healthcare services.
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