Feb 11, 2022

Norwalk and Middlesex Hospitals were the highest rated in the state, both appearing among the top 100 care facilities. Six more Connecticut hospitals ranked in the top 250 nationwide.

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut is home to more than its share of the best hospitals in the country, according to a new report.

Healthgrades, a website Americans use to find care, ranked 2022's top 50, 100, and 250 best hospitals, recognizing the top one, two, and five percent of hospitals in the country for clinical excellence.

To assess overall hospital quality, Healthgrades analyzed the clinical performance of nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide across more than 31 of the most common procedures and conditions.


Norwalk and Middlesex Hospitals were the highest rated in the state, both appearing among the top 100 care facilities. Six more Connecticut hospitals ranked in the top 250 nationwide. Healthgrades analysts estimated that if all hospitals as a group performed similarly to hospitals in its top 250 tier, "on average, 160,256 lives could potentially have been saved."

These are the top hospitals in Connecticut, according to the new report:

Backus Hospital, Norwich
Hartford Hospital
The Hospital of Central Connecticut - New Britain General Campus
The Hospital of Central Connecticut - Bradley Memorial Campus, Southington
Middlesex Hospital, Middletown
Norwalk Hospital
Yale New Haven Hospital
Yale New Haven Hospital, Saint Raphael Campus

Even though only 22 percent of Americans considered hospital quality the last time they selected a specialist, according to a Healthgrades survey, online ratings matter to hospitals.

Peter R. Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital, said he is seeing more and more Connecticut residents shopping for health care services because of easy access to information online.

"They may have the ability to travel for care, and they may select a hospital based on a particular doctor, service offering, quality or review."

Norwalk Hospital also gets business from doctor referrals, or its reputation for specialty procedures, such as cancer surgery at the Whittingham Cancer Center

"We encourage individuals to be well-informed about healthcare and select it based on what is best for them," Cordeau said. "We also encourage individuals to consider the benefits of staying close-to-home for healthcare, such as reducing the stress of traveling or being away from support systems like family and friends."

The Healthgrades ranking is based on Medicare inpatient data from 2018 to 2020, according to the study. Hospitals in the ranking have "consistently delivered better than expected clinical outcomes for their patients," the study states.

"It is crucial to know the top-performing hospitals in your community and look to these centers of clinical excellence to support you and your family's health long-term," Burt Kann, EVP and head of product at Healthgrades said. "Many individuals choose a specialist without considering the quality of the hospital where that doctor treats patients."