What’s the best hospital for care in Miami and the rest of Florida? Check the rankings

The University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has ranked No. 1 in the country again for ophthalmology in the latest ranking by U.S. News & World Report, continuing its two-decade reign as the best hospital for eye care.

“Our scientists and clinical researchers are tackling some of the most difficult challenges in ophthalmology while bringing better vision care to patients throughout South Florida and around the world,” said Dr. Eduardo C. Alfonso, director of Bascom Palmer and the Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser Chair in Ophthalmology in a statement.

This is the 20th consecutive year that Bascom Palmer has ranked No. 1 in the nation for ophthalmology.

Baptist Health South Florida also scored high, with its Baptist Hospital in Kendall snagging the No. 1 spot for the best hospital in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area and securing a slot in the Top 5 hospitals in Florida.

“Achieving this recognition is a direct result of the exceptional work and dedication of our employees and medical staff across the organization.” said Bo Boulenger, president & CEO of Baptist Health South Florida in an emailed statement.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital near South Miami ranked No. 2 in Florida for pediatric hospitals. And for the first time since opening in 2020, the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial made it onto the “Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation” list.

U.S. News evaluated 1,041 hospitals across the country for their care of rehabilitation patients, with 50 hospitals nationally ranking. Lynn Rehabilitation ranked No. 45. Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and Sarasota Memorial Hospital ranked No. 24 and No. 31 respectively, for rehab services (the lower the ranking, the better).

“When we built Lynn Rehabilitation Center, our vision was for it to become one of the nation’s most elite physical rehabilitation hospitals, where patients who suffered life-changing accidents or illnesses could learn how to regain their strength, mobility, and function,” said Jackson CEO Carlos A. Migoya in a statement. “ ... our success is reflected in all of the patients who have been able to return to their daily lives with a renewed sense of hope and independence.”

What to know about the rankings

This year, U.S. News compared more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions, with only 12% of evaluated hospitals earning a “Best Hospitals” ranking. Other rankings included “Best Regional Hospitals,” “High Performing,” and “Honor Roll.”

Top 5 Hospitals in Florida

U.S. News evaluated 254 hospitals in Florida and 24 met its standards for ranking. Here are the Top 5:

▪ Mayo Clinic Jacksonville is the top hospital in Florida. It was nationally ranked in nine specialties and ranked High Performing in 18 procedures/conditions. Mayo has ranked No. 1 for seven of the past eight years.

▪ AdventHealth Orlando tied with UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville for the No. 2 spot in Florida. AdventHealth nationally ranked in four specialties, one children’s specialty and ranked high performing in six specialties and 15 procedures/conditions. UF’s Shands nationally ranked in five adult specialties, four children’s specialties and ranked high performing in four specialties and 17 procedures/conditions.

▪ Tampa General Hospital snagged the No. 4 spot on the list (there is no No. 3 listed).

▪ Baptist Health Baptist Hospital in Miami-Dade County tied with Sarasota Memorial Hospital to round out the Top 5 in Florida. Baptist nationally ranked in one specialty — neurology and neurosurgery — and ranked high performing in five specialties — cancer, gastroentrology and GI surgery, geriatrics, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and 12 procedures/conditions. Sarasota nationally ranked in two specialties and rated high performing in five specialties and 13 procedures and conditions.

Top 5 Hospitals in Miami-Fort Lauderdale area

▪ Baptist Health Baptist Hospital in Kendall ranked #1, which included Baptist Children’s Hospital. Other Baptist hospitals were also recognized as high performing in several conditions and procedures including diabetes, kidney failure, stroke, pneumonia, knee replacement, heart failure and geriatrics.

▪ Cleveland Clinic Weston secured the No. 2 slot in the area and also ranked No. 7 in the state. It nationally ranked in one specialty, gastroenterology and GI surgery, and ranked high performing in three specialties — geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and lung surgery — and 12 procedures/conditions.

▪ University of Miami Hospital and Clinics - UHealth Tower earned the No. 3 spot in Miami-Fort Lauderdale and ranked No. 9 in Florida. It nationally ranked in two specialties — neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology — and ranked high performing in three specialties — cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, geriatrics — and 10 procedures/conditions.

▪ Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach ranked No. 4 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, ranked No. 10 in Florida, and secured a high performing rating in three specialties — geriatrics, orthopedics, urology — and 11 procedures/conditions.

▪ Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines, part of Memorial Healthcare and one of the public hospitals in Broward County, rounded out the Top 5 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area, No. 14 in the state. It ranked high performing in nine procedures/conditions.

What about South Florida’s other public hospitals?

▪ Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade’s public hospital network, nationally ranked in one adult specialty— rehabilitation; one pediatric specialty — pediatric diabetes and endocrinology; and was ranked high performing in three adult procedures and conditions.

▪ Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood ranked No. 6 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area. The hospital nationally ranked in one adult specialty — rehabilitation — and ranked high performing in seven procedures/conditions. It nationally ranked in one children’s specialty, pediatric orthopedics; Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital was part of the evaluation.

▪ Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, one of Broward’s public hospital systems, ranked high performing in three procedures/conditions. Broward Health Coral Springs and Broward Health North ranked high performing in three adult procedures/conditions.

How did Florida’s pediatric hospitals rank?

▪ Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Saint Petersburg ranked No. 1 in Florida and nationally ranked in seven children’s specialties.

▪ Nicklaus Children’s Hospital ranked No. 2 in Florida and is nationally ranked in five pediatric specialties — neonatology, pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, pediatric neurology and neurosurgery, pediatric orthopedics, and pediatric pulmonology and lung surgery.

▪ Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando tied with UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville for the No. 3 spot. Both hospitals nationally ranked in four children specialties.

▪ Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando tied with Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville for the No. 5 spot in Florida. There is no No. 4.

▪ Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami, part of a partnership between Jackson Health System and UHealth, tied with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood and AdventHealth for Children in Orlando for the No 7. spot in the state (there is No. 6). Holtz Children nationally ranked for pediatric diabetes and endocrinology, Joe DiMaggio nationally ranked for pediatric orthopedics and AdventHealth nationally ranked for neonatology.

Check the rankings

To learn more about hospital rankings, visit health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.