Our 11th annual list of the Most Beautiful Hospitals in the U.S. was the most regionally diverse ever. Aside from multiple entries from two states, the rest of our rankings (more than 75% of them) were each from a different state.
For the first time, only one hospital from Florida was represented. While there were two California hospitals, there were a record-setting three Pennsylvania hospitals represented.
This year’s list also featured a new record (surpassing 2019) for the largest number of hospitals that had never appeared in one of our previous lists!
A total of 50 hospitals from across the U.S. were nominated by patients, staff, community members and the general public, spotlighting hospitals that integrate aesthetics and dedicated staff as elements of beauty which contribute to the health and well-being of their patients. This year’s contest brought in a combined total of 506,195 votes.
Here are our 11th annual rankings…
20. AVALA, Covington, LA
(4,244 votes) If you ever wondered whether all of the entries in our rankings are really that beautiful – even #20 out of 20 – is beautiful inside and out. This stylish-looking small-town hospital is possibly the most striking building to ever rank in this place on our list.
19. Upson Regional Medical Center, Thomaston, GA
(4,884 votes) Founded in 1951 and one of the only Georgia-based facilities ever represented in our rankings, Upson Regional Medical Center joins our list for the first time. Upson Regional Medical Center is also one of the only facilities in our rankings this year that is neither a relatively new hospital nor a renovation/addition to an existing facility.
18. La Rabida Childrens Hospital, Chicago, IL
(5,240 votes) New to our rankings in 2017 when it was #16, then #17 in 2018, La Rabida is the only hospital in the country solely dedicated to caring for children with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or who have been abused or neglected. Offering beautifully themed, playful and imaginative environments within, La Rabida is also recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its medical home programs and has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.
17. Hills and Dales General Hospital, Hill Street Cass City, MI
(6,831 votes) First appearing in our 2019 rankings, Hills and Dales General Hospital located on Cass City, Michigan’s Hill Street makes it into our rankings for the second straight time in a row.
16. South Central Regional Medical Center, Laurel, MS
(6,876 votes) The 285-bed not-for-profit South Central has more than 80 physicians on staff representing 28 medical specialties and has been named a COVID-19 Center of Excellence by the Mississippi State Department of Health. It is also certified as a ‘Baby-Friendly’ facility by Baby-Friendly USA.
15. MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta, ME
(7,065 votes) Rising dozens of feet above a landscaped pond and fountain, MaineGeneral Medical Center features outdoor terraces and sitting areas that connect to the interior by glass doors and walls making for a seamless transition between indoors and nature. Designed by SMRT Architects and Engineers and built by Robins & Morton and finished 10 months ahead of schedule, the 640,000-square-foot, 192-room hospital is part of a $350-million campus that also includes a medical library and meeting space for up to 300 people.
14. Hampton Regional Medical Center, Varnville, SC
(7,718 votes) In 2008, Hampton moved into its new hospital facility in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina, its iconic red brick and unique curved architecture standing tall above its pristine green lawn. An adjacent building houses physicians specializing in internal medicine, cardiology, orthopedics, general surgery, outpatient rehabilitation, primary care, and even more services through Hampton Regional’s affiliation with the Medical University of South Carolina.
13. Flagler Hospital, St. Augustine, FL
(8,853 votes) Established in 1889, this not-for-profit facility offers “Centers of Excellence” in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus. Ranking at #11 on our 2016 list, this facility was named one of America’s Best Hospitals in 2007 by U.S. News & World Report, and named by HealthGrades as one of America’s Best 50 Hospitals in 2011.
12. Brook Lane, Hagerstown, MD
(9,710 votes) Brook Lane is a non-profit mental health organization with more than 500 employees providing mental health care to individuals across Western Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle region. The organization’s main 58-bed campus in Hagerstown is home to one of Maryland’s largest private mental health hospitals.
11. Norton Sound Regional Hospital, Nome, AK
(11,531 votes) This $168-million facility serves a population of 10,000, in an untamed wilderness that includes the large-for-Alaska but isolated city of Nome. Ranked 11th in our 2013 list, 6th in our 2016 list, 9th on our 2017 list, and 7th in both our 2018 and 2019 lists, the three-story, 36-bed Norton Sound Regional has made our rankings more often than any other hospital in America as of 2023.
10. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
(15,571 votes) Taking the #10 spot this year, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC was ranked 7th on our 2010 list when it opened, 5th in our 2018 rankings and 7th in our 2019 rankings. Splashed with exuberant amounts of color and playful giant 3D characters, this hospital’s public spaces would give most theme park hotels a run for their money. It’s no wonder it was also voted 10th most beautiful hospital in the world in 2012 by HealthExecNews.
9. Boone Memorial Hospital, Madison, WV
(17,413 votes) Nestled in among the rolling hills of West Virginia’s Little Coal River, Boone Memorial Hospital makes its way onto our rankings for the first time. A landscaped parking lot sits atop the former site of the original facility, now replaced with this welcoming $37-million 78,000 square foot facility that still has “that new car smell” feeling.
8. Carson Tahoe Health, Carson City, NV
(18,500 votes) The bright exterior of Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center stands out against its Sierra Nevada desert surroundings. This 352,000 square foot facility, set on an 80-acre medical campus, was #5 in our 2014 rankings. A new 2-story enclosed structure completed in 2021 connects two sections of the campus, bridging across Eagle Valley Creek and offering spectacular views of surrounding flora and fauna.
7. Marian Regional Medical Center, Santa Maria, CA
(21,021 votes) The beautiful stained-glass work, tropical gardens and classic archways of this gorgeous piece of 1967 architecture continue to make it one of the most timeless facilities to ever hit our rankings. This year, Marian Regional Medical Center moves way up in our rankings, from #18 in 2019 to #7 this year.
6. Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, Youngstown, OH
(24,273 votes) A recent revitalization for Boardman included the construction of two stories above the existing surgery suites, a six-story 184,000 square-foot tower built above the existing lobby and post-anesthesia care unit. The project also included 50,000 square feet of renovation work throughout the existing hospital, garnering the facility a 2009 American Society of Interior Designers Interior of the Year award and a 2010 American Institute of Architects Honor Award in Recognition of Design Excellence.
5. Reading Hospital, West Reading, PA
(34,868 votes) Beautiful by day and stunningly lit up at night: The timeless red-brick and light beige cement elegance paired with modern turquoise-tinted windows atop a dramatic landscaped hillside, Reading Hospital rockets up from 17th place in our 2019 rankings to #5 for 2023!
4. White Plains Hospital, White Plains, NY
(50,688 votes) Over the last decade, this Circa-1893 facility has undergone a major modernization and expansion project to increase the medical capabilities of the hospital and renovate its aesthetics. A six-story tower was built that includes private rooms and operating rooms were updated with newer capabilities. White Plains also constructed a second cardiac catheterization lab and labor, delivery, and maternity units and the cancer center was expanded to double its size as well.
3. Guthrie Troy Community Hospital, Troy, PA
(51,912 votes) This year, Guthrie Troy Community Hospital makes it onto our rankings for the first time. The current (2013) iteration of this 25-bed Critical Access Hospital features landscaping and interior design that conjures up feelings and imagery of a warm Pennsylvania autumn.
2. Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA
(62,195 votes) Recipient of a 2016 Los Angeles Architectural Award for its renovation and extension to the existing inpatient hospital, a new outpatient building and a new wellness and aquatics center, Rancho’s new look draws inspiration from the area’s historic Mission Revival building on-site, with an iconic tower and undulating, perforated metal scrim recalling the texture of traditional stucco and terracotta roofing tiles. Sliding walls and gardens contribute to a park-like atmosphere that blurs the boundaries between inside and out.
1. Providence Hospital, Mobile, AL
(120,086 votes) Designed in the mid-80s by noted American architect Bertrand Goldberg (best known for Chicago’s famed Marina City complex), Providence Hospital’s ‘draped structure’ concrete shell tower comes to earth independently of the base building to create an abstract and poetic interface. (This also helps the hospital to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes.) The combination of curved shapes and soaring structure create unique perspectives from ground-level views. Well integrated with its serene landscape, a small lake for storm water retention was created by damming a natural gully on the site, allowing for beautiful views from inside as well as out. On our list for the first time and garnering nearly twice as many votes as the runner-up this year, Mobile’s Providence Hospital has been chosen as our 2023 Most Beautiful Hospital in the U.S.
Congratulations to all of this years’ hospitals!