UAB Hospital once again earned national recognition after being named Alabama’s top-ranked hospital on Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2026 list.
The Birmingham-based hospital ranked No. 59 in the United States among nearly 400 hospitals evaluated by Newsweek and Statista.
UAB leads hospital rankings in Alabama
The rankings evaluated hospitals using several key data sources. These included hospital quality metrics, recommendations from medical experts and patient survey results. Researchers also considered findings from the Statista PROMs Implementation Survey.
As a result, UAB Hospital secured the highest ranking among Alabama hospitals. In addition, the hospital earned recognition as a national leader in patient experience.
According to Dawn Bulgarella, the ranking reflects the dedication of UAB’s healthcare professionals.
She said the recognition highlights the hospital’s strong patient care, research efforts and innovative medical treatments.
Part of Alabama’s largest health system
UAB Hospital operates under the UAB Health System, the largest health system in Alabama.
The organization includes more than 30,000 physicians, healthcare professionals and staff. Together, they serve nearly 1.4 million patients each year across the state.
The system operates 113 locations across all 67 counties in Alabama, including hospitals such as: UAB St. Vincent’s, UAB Medical West, Baptist Health, UAB Callahan Eye.
Continued national recognition
This latest honor adds to a growing list of accolades for UAB Hospital.
In 2025, U.S. News & World Report named the hospital the No. 1 facility in Alabama and the Birmingham metro area in its Best Hospitals 2025–2026 rankings.
That recognition marked the 12th consecutive year the hospital earned the top spot in the state.
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