ENCINITAS, Calif., April 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For the second time in three years, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas has been named among the top 100 hospitals in the nation, based on a study conducted by the health care improvement company Premier Inc.
Scripps Encinitas came in at No. 3 among the 20 medium community hospitals included in the 2026 version of the prestigious annual rankings.
The list, which was published today online by Modern Healthcare magazine, recognizes health care organizations that consistently deliver high-quality care while improving operational and financial performance.
“Even with the historic challenges now facing the health care sector, Scripps continues to uphold our century-old founding mission to provide exceptional care to our patients,” Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder said. “This recognition for Scripps Encinitas is a direct result of that ongoing commitment to our communities.”
Premier identified the best hospitals based on a wide range of measures that included patient outcomes and experiences, operational efficiency, financial health and community impact. In previous years, the study was produced under a variety of other ownership names such as PINC AI, Merative, IBM Watson Health and Truven Health Analytics.
“It’s an honor for Scripps Encinitas to be recognized among the best hospitals in the nation,” said Steve Miller, vice president and chief operations executive at Scripps Encinitas. “This wasn’t something that we applied for. And it shines a national spotlight on the high-quality, data-driven care provided every single day by our hard working, dedicated physicians, nurses and employees.”
Researchers chose the 100 Top Hospitals from among 2,540 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals and health systems based on five years of data. The study was driven by information from Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare website.
Extensive hospital evaluations
Hospitals were evaluated on 10 performance measures covering inpatient mortality, complications, health care associated infections, 30-day mortality rate, 30-day readmission rate, average length of stay, inpatient expense, Medicare spend, operating profit margin and CMS patient surveys.
Hospitals were then stratified and ranked within five separate peer groups to generate 20 top-ranked major teaching hospitals, 20 top-ranked teaching hospitals, 20 top-ranked large community hospitals, 20 top-ranked medium community hospitals and 20 top-ranked small community hospitals, for a total of 100.
According to the study, if all hospitals performed at the level of the nation’s top 100, the impact on Medicare inpatients could include:
- More than 279,000 additional lives saved
- More than 477,000 fewer patients experiencing complications
- More than $14.3 billion in cost savings
- More than 21,700 fewer patients readmitted within 30 days
Hospitals do not apply for consideration, and winners do not pay to market the honor.
Advances at Scripps Encinitas
Opened in 1964, Scripps Encinitas offers a wide range of clinical, surgical and specialty services. An ongoing master plan has greatly expanded the campus in more recent years.
In 2014, Scripps opened the Leichtag Foundation Critical Care Pavilion on the Scripps Encinitas campus, which included a new emergency department and 36 inpatient rooms. A three-story, 68,000-square-foot medical office pavilion opened in 2021. And in 2023, Scripps began construction of the acute care Lusardi Tower. The first phase of that tower will open this year and include 36 private inpatient rooms, 16 intensive care unit beds, 16 post-partum beds and a 26-bed perioperative unit.
ABOUT SCRIPPS HEALTH
Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a nonprofit integrated health care delivery system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats more than 650,000 patients annually through the dedication of more than 3,500 affiliated physicians and nearly 18,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, more than 70 outpatient and specialty care locations, and hundreds of affiliated physician offices throughout the region.
Recognized as a leader in disease and injury prevention, diagnosis and treatment, Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research and is the only health system in the region with two level 1 trauma centers. With highly respected graduate medical education programs at all five hospital campuses, Scripps is a longstanding member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Scripps has been ranked seven times as one of the nation’s best health care systems by Premier. Its hospitals are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s best, and Scripps is recognized by the Advisory Board, Fortune and Working Mother magazine as one of the best places in the nation to work. More information can be found at www.scripps.org.
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- Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas