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Quick Facts:
Northwest AR
Top honors continue to accumulate for Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, the only Arkansas hospital named a 2026 Modern Healthcare 100 Top Hospitals® Powered by Premier, a distinction that recognizes hospitals delivering exceptional performance in clinical outcomes, patient experience, operational efficiency and financial health. The Rogers-based hospital was also awarded the prestigious Everest Award.
Among numerous industry rankings, the 100 Top Hospitals stands apart for its rigor. Published in Modern Healthcare, the annual recognition list is based on an objective, quantitative analysis of publicly available data. The list is not application-based, and winners do not pay to market their recognition. The program’s goal is to inspire hospital and health care leaders to pursue higher performance and deliver added value to patients and communities.
The Everest Award, the highest honor within the 100 Top Hospitals program, is presented to organizations that achieved both the fastest rate of improvement and top-tier results over the last five years. Achieving this honor as one of only 24 hospitals underscores Mercy Northwest Arkansas’ long-term commitment to delivering high-quality, efficient care for the communities it serves.
“This recognition is deeply meaningful because it highlights how we are living up to our mission to serve and care for people in their most vulnerable moments,” said Rhett Stover, president of Mercy Northwest Arkansas Communities. “Earning both a 100 Top Hospitals distinction and the Everest Award reflects the extraordinary dedication of our physicians, nurses and caregivers. I truly appreciate the many hands and hearts that make this level of exceptional, compassionate care possible.”
To identify the 100 Top Hospitals, researchers evaluated 2,540 short-term, acute care U.S. hospitals using publicly available Medicare data to assess performance across measures that matter most to patients and communities. Hospitals are compared to peer organizations of similar size and teaching status.
Mercy Northwest Arkansas ranked 4th in the nation among academic medical centers, a new comparison group created to better benchmark hospitals that have a similar complexity of patient population and special mission as a teaching hospital. Mercy Hospital Lebanon also ranked among the top 100 and 15th among small community hospitals.
Measures evaluated include:
- Inpatient mortality
- Complications
- Healthcare-associated infections
- Average length of stay
- Inpatient expense per discharge
- Patient experience
Premier’s analysis consistently shows that hospitals recognized on the 100 Top Hospitals list outperform their peers across these domains, delivering better outcomes while operating more efficiently.
According to Premier’s national analysis, if hospitals nationwide performed at the level of the 100 Top Hospitals, hundreds of thousands more patients could experience complication-free care, with billions of dollars in inpatient costs potentially avoided. Hospitals on the list also demonstrate lower inpatient mortality rates, fewer infections and shorter lengths of stay compared to peer institutions.
“Premier’s 100 Top Hospitals program recognizes health care organizations that consistently deliver high-quality care while improving operational efficiency, financial performance and the patient experience,” said David Zito, president of performance services at Premier. “By highlighting top performers and providing transparent, data-driven insights, this program helps hospitals nationwide identify opportunities to enhance care delivery, strengthen financial sustainability and improve outcomes for the communities they serve.”
Mercy Northwest Arkansas’ performance reflects years of focused effort to strengthen clinical quality, enhance patient safety and improve operational performance through evidence-based care models and data-driven decision-making.
“The Everest Award in particular speaks to the culture we’ve built – one that respects the dignity of each patient and values continuous improvement and accountability to provide exceptional care,” said Dr. Sonal Bhakta, Mercy Northwest Arkansas’ chief medical officer. “It recognizes that high-quality care is not a one-year achievement but the result of sustained focus and collaboration across every part of our team.”
For more information, the full list and methodology is available at www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/mh-premier-100-top-hospitals-2026/.
