HCA Florida Brandon Hospital announced today that it has achieved the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use to find a doctor or hospital. This award reflects Brandon Hospital’s commitment to safe, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety four years in a row.
Alongside this national recognition for patient safety, Brandon Hospital was recently named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for overall clinical care and the recipient of numerous accolades based on its exceptional performance in key service areas, including orthopedic services, spine surgery, gastrointestinal services, gastrointestinal surgery and surgical care. These achievements further underscore the organization’s commitment to delivering compassionate, individualized care at every step of the patient journey.
“We embrace a promise to our patients at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital — we are committed to excellence always, every action, every patient, every time. We work together as a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to patient safety, spanning the hospital including nurses, medical staff, residents and clinical support teams such as infection prevention leaders, quality and patient safety teams. This award honors the dedication of our team and our commitment to putting patients first,” said Holly McGucken, Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at Brandon Hospital.
Brandon Hospital’s achievement is based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the national leaders in patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates from approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across 13 patient safety indicators (PSIs), with each PSI representing a serious, preventable complication.
Healthgrades’ annual analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest-and lowest-achieving facilities, making it increasingly important for consumers to seek care at a hospital with top safety ratings. During the 2022-2024 study period, 167,228 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients at U.S. hospitals, with four PSIs accounting for nearly 78% of all incidents. Patients treated at Brandon Hospital and other award-winning facilities had a profoundly lower risk of experiencing these leading complications:
- In-hospital fall resulting in fracture (52.4% less likely)
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure in or around the chest (57.5% less likely)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely)
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (71.9% less likely)
"The data behind this year’s Patient Safety Excellence Award highlights how measurable improvements in safety can prevent thousands of complications,” said Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “By prioritizing evidence-based safety practices, Brandon Hospital is achieving better clinical outcomes and cultivating a culture where patients come first.”
Where you’re treated matters, which is why Healthgrades is committed to providing the most scientifically accurate information about doctors and hospitals — with data insights not available anywhere else. For additional guidance on finding safe, high-quality care in 2026, visit Healthgrades website.
*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award Methodology, which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2025.0.1) to MedPAR data from approximately 4,500 hospitals for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.