Reading Hospital has again been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades, the number one site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. This achievement is Healthgrades’ highest honor for clinical excellence and reflects Reading Hospital’s exemplary standard of care. It places the organization in the top 1% of hospitals nationwide for the fifth consecutive year.
Reading Hospital’s achievement is based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2026, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide.
“This recognition is a major milestone for the entire team at Reading Hospital,” said Dr. Charles F. Barbera, Reading Hospital president and CEO. “Coupled with recent investments in new technologies at McGlinn Cancer Institute and Miller Regional Heart Center, it reinforces our status as a trusted, top-tier healthcare provider, not only in our area, but also nationwide.”
Reading Hospital received five-star ratings in COPD, Heart Failure, Cranial Neurosurgery, Treatment of Stroke, Outpatient Total Knee Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Treatment of Sepsis, and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery. Healthgrades also recognized the hospital for its exceptional patient outcomes in key service areas, including America’s 50 Best Outpatient Joint Replacement, Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award, and Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award.
Pottstown Hospital received five-star ratings in Treatment of Heart Attack, Outpatient Total Knee Replacement, and Treatment of Sepsis.
“We are proud that Pottstown Hospital has again earned recognition in multiple areas for our clinical excellence,” said Dr. Richard McLaughlin, CEO at Pottstown Hospital. “While the exceptional ratings demonstrate our commitment to teamwork and collaboration, they also highlight how our staff continually provides exceptional care and outcomes for our patients.”
This year’s Healthgrades accolades further underscore Tower Health’s commitment to delivering high-quality care to every patient, year after year, added Michael Stern, Tower Health president and CEO.
“Our team members put their all into caring for patients with compassion during every interaction,” he said. “At Tower Health, we continue to draw on the strengths and expertise across the organization to advance our mission and exceed the expectations of our patients and community."
Healthgrades’ analysis found that outcomes vary widely between the nation’s highest- and lowest-performing facilities—and the gap is getting bigger. In fact, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to America’s 50 Best, on average, 209,081 lives could have been saved during the 2022-2024 study period.* These findings illustrate the importance of choosing a facility with an established record of superior patient outcomes.
“This year's America’s Best Hospitals list gives patients a clearer picture of where high-quality care is delivered most consistently,” said Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “Patients can feel confident in their decision to seek care at Reading Hospital, an organization that is setting the standard for clinical excellence nationwide.”
With care variation on the rise, consumers must find and select a top-rated hospital to maximize their chances of a successful outcome. Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ America’s Best Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the national leaders in clinical excellence.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2026 America’s Best Hospital Awards Methodology.