Salisbury, MD – Healthgrades 2026 Star Report of hospital achievements shows TidalHealth is again rated among the nation’s best health systems in several clinical services.
TidalHealth announced today that it has achieved numerous accolades for clinical excellence from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital, including its Vascular Surgery line holding a distinction unique to it in the entire nation.
TidalHealth Peninsula Regional is again One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery. This is the twelfth consecutive year earning that recognition (2015-2026). No other hospital in the United State has been awarded that 50 Best recognition for the past dozen years.
“To be named One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery for twelve consecutive years—and it being an honor no other hospital in the nation can claim—speaks not only to the exceptional outcomes our patients receive, but also to the culture of excellence and compassion that defines us,” said Douglas Wilhite, MD, Chief, Vascular Surgery at TidalHealth. “We are deeply proud of our team and grateful to our community for trusting us with their care.”
The vascular team also maintained the Healthgrades Vascular Surgery Excellence Award for a twelfth consecutive year (2015-2026), placing it again among the Top 5% in the Nation for Vascular Surgery.
New awards for the Salisbury hospital in the 2026 Star Report include:
- Coronary intervention Excellence Award, which places TidalHealth Peninsula Regional among the Top 10% in the Nation for coronary interventional procedures.
- Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award, which puts the Salisbury hospital Top 10% in the Nation for outpatient joint replacement procedures.
Recognized for a second consecutive year is TidalHealth Peninsula Regional’s orthopedic surgery program. It is rated third best among all Maryland hospitals. The Salisbury institution is the only hospital ranked by Healthgrades on the Eastern Shore for orthopedic surgery.
The orthopedic service line was also retained for the third consecutive year its designation as One of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery (2024-2026), and was awarded the 2026 Healthgrades Spine Surgery Excellence Award, placing it Top 10% in the Nation for Spine Surgery.
At TidalHealth Nanticoke, the team retained, for a fourth straight year, a 5-Start ranking for the Treatment of Sepsis (2023-2026). Earlier this year and for the second year in a row, TidalHealth Nanticoke was also presented a 5-Star Ranking by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Seaford hospital was the only hospital in Delaware to be awarded the prestigious 5-Stars from CMS in 2024 and 2025, the organizations gold standard rating for care and outcomes.
Between TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, TidalHealth Nanticoke and Atlantic General Hospital, the health system has eight services lines recognized by Healthgrades with 5-Stars; and indication they are performing statistically significantly better than their peer services at other U.S. hospitals.
“We will continue striving to exceed the expectations of our communities by providing the highest standard of care so every patient who walks through our doors receives the best possible outcomes,” added Steve Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, President/CEO. “TidalHealth’s greatest asset remains our team members, medical staff, and volunteers. Our Healthgrades clinical successes, many that have repeated for several years, are a direct result of their devotion to every patient and family member.”
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 TidalHealth for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas, including that remarkable 12-year performance in vascular surgery.”
Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care.
By offering easy access to objective performance measures, Healthgrades helps consumers find and select a hospital that excels in providing the care they need.
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.
