Awards & Achievements

At UC San Diego Health, being recognized for the quality of our patient care is one of our greatest honors. Here are just some of the awards and achievements that reflect our ongoing commitment to excellence.

Recent Awards and Achievements

• Best hospital system in San Diego: UC San Diego Health is ranked the No. 1 hospital system in San Diego and No. 5 in California for 2025-26 by U.S. News & World Report.
• Nationally ranked specialties: We also ranked among the nation's best in 9 adult medical and surgical specialties on the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" survey — more than any hospital system in San Diego: Obstetrics & Gynecology (7), Pulmonology & Lung Surgery (8), Geriatrics (18), Heart & Vascular (27), Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (28), Neurology & Neurosurgery (28), Diabetes & Endocrinology (32), Cancer (41) and Urology (46).
• Among top 10 academic medical centers for patient care: For the seventh consecutive year, UC San Diego Health was named a top performer in the Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership annual ranking by Vizient. In 2025, we ranked ninth out of 118 U.S. academic health systems.
• High marks for hospital safety: In spring 2025, The Leapfrog Group awarded UC San Diego Health hospitals in La Jolla and Hillcrest top marks for keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.
• Top doctors in San Diego: Many UC San Diego Health physicians in 50 specialties were named "Top Docs" in the San Diego Magazine "Physicians of Exceptional Excellence" survey for 2025, an annual opportunity for doctors across the region to vote for much-admired colleagues.
• Nursing excellence: Since 2011, we have maintained Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which is considered among the highest recognitions for nursing excellence and innovation in nursing practice. 
• High honors for 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.
• Outstanding maternity care: Our obstetrics and gynecology care is ranked No. 7 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. We are also recognized as a 2026 High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care 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.
• Distinction for LGBTQ+ health care equality: In 2024, UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest earned the "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer" designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
• Awards for environmental sustainability: 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.

Please note: The current sites included in UC Diego Health's Magnet designation are Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, and UC San Diego Health ambulatory clinic locations. East Campus Medical Center is not designated Magnet at this time.