Awards & Achievements

Being recognized for quality patient care is a hospital's highest recognition. Review some of our recent awards and achievements.

Graphic with U.S. News & World Report honor roll badge and the words “#1 in San Diego and Top 20 in the Nation”

San Diego's Best Hospital

We’re ranked the #1 hospital system in San Diego for 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report. And we’re among only 20 nationwide to make the Best Hospitals Honor Roll for outstanding patient care. We also rank among the nation's best in 11 medical and surgical specialties.

View U.S. News & World Report Specialty Rankings

Recent Awards and Achievements

  • Best Hospital in San Diego: UC San Diego Health is ranked the No. 1 hospital system in San Diego and tied for No. 1 in California for 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report.
  • National Honor Roll: We also again made the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals National Honor Roll for 2024-25, placing us among the nation's top 20 hospitals for the outstanding quality of our patient care.
  • More Top-Ranked Specialties: UC San Diego Health ranked among the nation's best in 11 adult medical and surgical specialties on U.S. News & World Report's 2024-25 survey — more than any hospital system in San Diego: Lung Surgery (10), Obstetrics & Gynecology (12), Geriatrics (19), Neurology & Neurosurgery (22), Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (26), Heart & Vascular (27), Diabetes & Endocrinology (34), Ear, Nose & Throat (40), Cancer (42), Urology (43) and Orthopedics (44).  
  • Top 10 Academic Medical Center for Patient Care: For the sixth consecutive year, UC San Diego Health was named as a top performer in the Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership annual ranking by Vizient. In 2024, we ranked ninth out of 115 U.S. academic health systems.
  • Top Marks for Hospital Safety: UC San Diego Health hospitals in La Jolla and Hillcrest earned top marks from The Leapfrog Group in the spring of 2025 for keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.
  • Top Docs: Many UC San Diego Health physicians in 40 specialties were named "Top Docs" in the San Diego Magazine "Physicians of Exceptional Excellence" survey for 2024, an annual opportunity for doctors across the region to vote for much-admired colleagues.
  • Nursing Excellence: We maintained Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which is considered among the highest recognitions for nursing excellence and innovation in nursing practice.
  • Outstanding Stroke and Diabetes Care: We earned the American Heart Association's / American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and are listed on its honor rolls for Stroke Elite Plus, Stroke Advanced Therapy and Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Excellence in Maternity Care: Our obstetrics and gynecology care is ranked among the top 25 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-25. We are also recognized as a 2025 Best Maternity Hospital by U.S. News & World Report.
  • Leader in Digital Health Care Innovation: In 2024, UC San Diego Health's acute care hospitals and ambulatory care clinics achieved Level 10 "Digital Health Most Wired" status from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). Level 10 is the highest level of distinction, reserved for organizations that are leaders in harnessing IT to improve patient care and safety. 
  • LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality: In 2024, UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest earned the "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer" designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 
  • Environmental Sustainability Leader: In 2024, UC San Diego Health received a Greenhealth Emerald Award, Greening the Operating Room Recognition Award, and Circle of Excellence awards for green building, food, leadership, sustainable procurement and transportation.