Washington Health Recognized Among America’s 50 Best for Outpatient Joint Replacement, Secures Multiple Excellence Awards

Washington Health is one of only eight in California and the only Bay Area hospital to earn this distinction from Healthgrades.

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 28, 2025 – Washington Health (WH) announced today that it has received multiple distinctions for exceptional clinical performance from Healthgrades, the nation’s leading resource for patients seeking trusted hospital and physician information. WH is one of only eight hospitals in California, and the only one in the Bay Area¹, to receive both the Outpatient Joint Replacement and Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Awards, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for the third consecutive year (2024–2026). WH also earned recognition as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Joint Replacement, one of only six hospitals in California to receive this honor.

In addition to these recognitions, WH received Five-Star ratings for treatment of heart failure, hip fracture treatment, back surgery, and outpatient total knee replacement surgery. These achievements further affirm Washington Health’s status as a premier destination for specialty care and underscore the organization’s longstanding commitment to excellent patient care.

“Our continued recognition by Healthgrades highlights the expertise and commitment of our physicians, nurses, and staff to delivering exceptional specialty care,” said Kimberly Hartz, CEO of Washington Health. “By investing in advanced technology, strengthening our clinical programs, and maintaining a strong focus on quality and safety, we provide our community with access to the highest level of care close to home.”

Washington Health’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. Each year, Healthgrades evaluates risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to identify the top hospitals in key specialty areas. Through easy-to-understand, objective measures of hospital performance, Healthgrades empowers patients with the information they need to find a hospital that excels in their procedure or condition.

As performance gaps persist between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving facilities, seeking care at a top program has never been more important. Healthgrades’ 2026 analysis revealed that if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to five-star hospitals during the 2022-2024 study period, on average, 230,466 lives could have been saved and 156,797 complications could have been avoided.*

“Healthgrades’ specialty awards identify the nation’s top-performing hospitals in key service areas, helping consumers find high quality care tailored to their specific needs,” said Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize Washington Health for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas.

Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2026 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology.

¹The Bay Area is defined as: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Sonoma and Solano Counties in California.

About Washington Health

Washington Health is an independent, community-based health system governed by the publicly elected Washington Township Health Care District Board. Opened in 1958, Washington Health has grown to include a 415-bed, acute care hospital that includes the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion that also houses emergency services and a level II trauma center; the Bell Neuroscience Institute of Silicon Valley; the Institute for Joint Restoration and Research; Peninsula Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Rehabilitation Center; Washington Health Medical Group; and Washington West that houses the UCSF - Washington Cancer Center, Washington Women’s Center, Outpatient Imaging Center, and additional outpatient hospital services and administrative facilities. The health system continues to receive top-tier awards and distinctions for many programs and services, while advancing the level of medical care and treatment in Southern Alameda County. Discover more at washingtonhealth.com, and through Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central and Bezzy, which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives each month.