Kentucky’s best regional hospital isn’t in Lexington, new US News analysis says
U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 ranking of the Best Regional Hospitals, and while three Lexington hospitals are among the highest-rated in Kentucky, none of them managed to snag the No. 1 spot.
This year, that honor goes to St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s Edgewood Hospital, located in Kenton County.
Each year, U.S. News rates hospitals for their performance on common procedures and conditions, such as hip replacements and heart failure. It also assigns rankings based on hospital specialties, ranking facilities from 1 to 50 in each specialty.
To compile this year’s report, released July 29, U.S. News looked at more than 4,400 hospitals and their performance on measures like risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care. It drew data from more than 800 million records of patient care. More information about the report’s methodology is available online.
In the analysis, St. Elizabeth Edgewood was ranked as being a high performing hospital for 20 adult procedures and conditions, including hip replacements, bypass surgeries and more. In a press release, St. Elizabeth Healthcare president and CEO Garren Colvin said the rating reflects the hospital’s dedication to patient care.
“We have always placed emphasis on delivering excellent overall patient experience by providing high quality care,” Colvin said. “Being named the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky is a prestigious honor, but more importantly, it is a testament to the extraordinary care provided by our associates, physicians and volunteers.”
Several Lexington hospitals also ranked among the top performers in Kentucky.
UK HealthCare’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital ranked second in Kentucky. Baptist Health of Lexington ranked third, Norton Hospitals of Louisville ranked fourth and both Saint Joseph Hospital of Lexington and Baptist Health Louisville tied for fifth.
For a deeper dive into this year’s results, here’s what to know about the 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals.
How well do Lexington hospitals perform?
According to U.S. News, to rate among the best hospitals in the state, facilities must demonstrate higher survival rates and lower complication and readmission rates. Hospitals must also have better patient experience scores than those that are not ranked.
Chelsey Wen, a senior health data analyst for U.S. News, told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement this year’s ratings confirm Lexington is a hub for top notch health care.
“The 2025-2026 U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings confirm Lexington’s strong standing for patient care within Kentucky. Having three of Kentucky’s top-ranked hospitals – University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Baptist Health Lexington, and St. Joseph Hospital-Lexington – signifies a deep commitment to excellence in patient outcomes in your city,” Wen said.
Wen also noted the strong performance of UK’s Chandler Hospital in this year’s ratings.
“With the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital ranked No. 2 statewide and recognized as High Performing in specialties like Cancer, Geriatrics, and Orthopedics, and more, Lexingtonians should have confidence in the high-quality, comprehensive medical services available to their community,” Wen said.
UK HealthCare spokesperson Kristi Willett told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement the health care provider is analyzing the U.S. News results for areas of improvement.
“Additionally, we want to emphasize that U.S. News rankings are just one of many ways UK HealthCare gauges quality and performance,” Willett said. “For instance, we have moved up to a 4-Star rating in the Center for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) STAR rating system’s patient survey, and we continue to improve on those metrics. We have also maintained a B performance level in The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit focused on patient safety, which released its Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grade on May 1, 2025. We utilize all of these rankings to inform us about where we are, the strides we have made and also where we need to continue to improve. That’s how we view these rankings and all of those we track and monitor in assessing our progress in advancing the health of the state and all the people we help and heal.”
Willett was referring to spring grades from The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization that scored some Central Kentucky hospitals, including Chandler Hospital, below average for safety metrics such as infections, patient falls and harmful events in its spring assessment.
In a statement, Baptist Health CEO Gerard Colman noted it’s the ninth consecutive year one or more of the system’s hospitals has ranked within the top five in Kentucky.
“Additionally, several of our hospitals continue to earn high-performing ratings for adult procedures and the care provided in treating various conditions, reflecting the consistent, high-quality care delivered across our system. This longstanding achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team members in advancing patient-centered care,” Colman said in the emailed statement.
Saint Joseph Health President Matt Grimshaw also credited staff for the Lexington hospital’s high rating.
“Saint Joseph Hospital’s designation as one of the top 5 hospitals in the commonwealth reflects the quality provided by our caregivers and our commitment to provide the best care available in Kentucky. This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of our physicians, nurses, and staff to delivering exceptional, compassionate care every day,” Grimshaw said.
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