19 Virginia Hospitals Named Best In State: U.S. News

VIRGINIA — Several hospitals in Virginia are considered among the best in the state, according to a new ranking.

The 2021-22 Best Hospitals rankings, released Tuesday by U.S. News and World Report, rates the best overall hospitals as well as others that consistently deliver the best care.

To compile the rankings, U.S. News compared more than 4,750 medical centers nationwide in 15 specialties and 17 procedures and conditions including cardiology, neurology, geriatrics, orthopedics and more.

U.S. News also added seven new procedures or conditions to the rankings this year, including heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, kidney failure, hip fracture and back surgery.

The goal of the rankings is to help patients choose a hospital based on the specific type of care they need.

Inova Fairfax Hospital was named the top hospital in Virginia. It was rated sixth in the nation for gynecology and 40th for neonatology.

University of Virginia Medical Center was ranked nationally in five children's specialties, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was ranked 40th in the nation for urology and VCU Medical Center was nationally ranked for four areas of pediatric care.

The following Virginia hospitals were ranked the best in state:

• No. 1 in Virginia: Inova Fairfax Hospital
• No. 2: University of Virginia Medical Center
• No. 3: Winchester Medical Center
• No. 3: VCU Medical Center
• No. 3: Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
• No. 6: Centra Lynchburg General Hospital
• No. 6: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
• No. 8: Virginia Hospital Center
• No. 9: Sentara RMH Medical Center
• No. 10: Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
• No. 10: Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
• No. 10: Mary Washington Hospital
• No. 13: Sentara Leigh Hospital
• No. 13: Inova Alexandria Hospital
• No. 13: Inova Loudoun Hospital
• No. 16: Chippenham Hospital
• No. 16: Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
• No. 18: Augusta Health-Fishersville
• No. 19: Chesapeake Regional Medical Center

Data used to determine this year’s best hospitals came from a period predating the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning rankings were not affected by the pandemic’s effect on hospitals.

The methodology for the rankings is based largely on objective measures such as risk-adjusted survival and discharge-to-home rates, volume and quality of nursing, among other care-related indicators.

Learn more about the Best Hospitals methodology.

Of the hospitals analyzed by U.S. News, 531 were recognized as Best Regional Hospitals, based on their strong performance in multiple areas of care. It broke down Virginia into these areas: Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Richmond, Shenandoah Valley, Southwestern Virginia, Tidewater and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News.

Here are the top hospitals by region in Virginia:

• Central Virginia: University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
• Northern Virginia: Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church
• Richmond: VCU Medical Center, Richmond
• Shenandoah Valley: Winchester Medical Center, Winchester
• Southwestern Virginia: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke
• Tidewater: Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk
• Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News: Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk

In addition to state, regional and specialty rankings, U.S. News also announced the 20 hospitals that made it to this year’s Honor Roll, which recognizes the top hospitals nationwide that deliver exceptional treatment across multiple areas of care.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. claimed the No. 1 spot on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll, while Cleveland Clinic ranked No. 2, followed by UCLA Medical Center at No. 3.

In the specialty rankings, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ranked No. 1 in cancer, the Cleveland Clinic is No. 1 in cardiology and heart surgery, and Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City is No. 1 in orthopedics.

See this year’s full Best Hospitals ranking.