Mather Hospital Named Among America’s 250 Best Hospitals Again

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — Mather Hospital has earned a rare “trifecta” of 2026 Healthgrades honors, placing the Port Jefferson hospital among just 16 hospitals nationwide to receive all three distinctions.

The Northwell Health hospital received the 2026 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award, Patient Safety Excellence Award and America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award, hospital officials said.

Mather is the only hospital in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to receive all three distinctions in 2026, according to the hospital.

The Outstanding Patient Experience Award marks the sixth consecutive year Mather has received the honor. The hospital has also been named among America’s 250 Best Hospitals for the fourth time.

“These awards reflect years of intentional work to align every aspect of care around the patient,” said Kevin McGeachy, president of Mather Hospital. “We have built a culture where listening to patients, improving communication, strengthening safety practices, and ensuring compassionate care are part of every interaction, every day.”

The Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award is based on a national evaluation of patient feedback, rather than self-nomination, hospital officials said. For its 2026 analysis, Healthgrades reviewed Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data from nearly 4,000 U.S. hospitals.

Hospitals must meet eligibility criteria, including minimum patient survey volumes submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and hospitals in the bottom 20 percent of overall clinical quality are excluded from consideration, officials said.

Hospitals are evaluated across 10 patient experience areas, including communication with doctors and nurses, staff responsiveness, medication explanations, discharge information, cleanliness, quietness and overall hospital rating.

Only hospitals performing in the top 15 percent nationally based on patient-reported experience data receive the Outstanding Patient Experience Award, officials said.

Receiving both the Outstanding Patient Experience Award and the Patient Safety Excellence Award reflects high performance in both patient experience measures and independently assessed clinical safety outcomes, according to the hospital.

Healthgrades evaluates nearly 4,000 hospitals annually using CMS patient experience survey data and nationally standardized clinical performance metrics. Other Healthgrades awards evaluate clinical outcomes, complication rates and patient safety performance.

Mather Hospital is a 249-bed, nonprofit community teaching hospital serving Suffolk County. The hospital has also received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three times for nursing excellence and quality patient care.

Mather was rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-2026 Best Hospitals rankings in gastroenterology and GI surgery, pulmonology and lung surgery, congestive heart failure, kidney failure and pneumonia, hospital officials said.