Healthgrades designates UF Health a top hospital for patient safety
Named a top performer in the nation for safeguarding patients and delivering high-quality care
THE VILLAGES, Fla. — UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages has received the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades, a designation that places UF Health among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety.
The award recognizes hospitals that excel at providing top-quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays. Healthgrades, used by many health care consumers to find a doctor or hospital, evaluates award recipients using objective national patient safety indicators and clinical outcomes data.
“This recognition validates the work our teams do every day,” said Heather Long, SVP and Central Florida regional president at UF Health. “Our physicians, nurses and caregivers are deeply committed to compassionate patient care and grounded in the highest standards of quality and safety.”
Healthgrades assesses hospitals based on performance across multiple patient safety indicators, measuring the likelihood of respiratory infections, hospital-acquired infections, surgical complications and other serious complications.
Hospitals that receive the Patient Safety Excellence Award consistently outperform their peers in preventing these events.
“We constantly evaluate our processes and empower our teams to improve safety across every patient interaction,” said Long. “This achievement highlights the strength of our clinical teams and our organization’s commitment to accountability.”