Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been recognized as a 2025-26 Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, moving up to the No. 10 spot in New York State among more than 203 hospitals. This marks an improvement from last year’s ranking of No. 12. SBUH was also rated as high performing in six adult specialties on a national level: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and Urology.
According to U.S. News, only 96 hospitals nationwide have six or more high performing or ranked adult specialties out of over 4,400 evaluated hospitals. In New York State, only 14 hospitals meet this criterion.
“We are deeply honored to be acknowledged by U.S. News for our dedication to delivering outstanding patient care,” said William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine. “This recognition reflects the trust our community places in us and the expertise, compassion, and dedication our caregivers bring to every patient, every day. We are proud to serve this community with continued excellence and integrity.”
Carol Gomes, chief executive officer at Stony Brook University Hospital, said: “We are profoundly thankful to our staff and physicians—the backbone of our healthcare system—whose dedication to our patients has earned these honors and continues to inspire us daily. It’s truly fulfilling to lead and collaborate with a team that prioritizes patients and their families in everything we do.”
The evaluation considered data from Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital as part of the broader Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system.
Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News stated: “For most Americans, health care decisions are made close to home. The Best Regional Hospitals rankings underscore the difference high-performing local medical centers make. These local hospital rankings, entirely performance-driven, equip individuals and their families, in consultation with their medical providers, to choose the highest quality care available in their own communities.”
U.S. News determined its rankings based on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and nursing care levels. Its methodology uses data from over 800 million records of patient care across more than 4,400 hospitals nationally; this year included additional ratings for Heart Arrhythmia and Pacemaker Implantation.
SBUH is Long Island’s main academic health center with 624 beds serving as the region’s only tertiary care center and Regional Trauma Center. It hosts several specialized institutes including the Heart Institute, Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital and Neurosciences Institute. Other notable designations include Suffolk County’s only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center as well as centers for AIDS treatment, psychiatric emergencies, burn care, ALS excellence and kidney transplants.