The healthcare industry in the United States continually evolves, driven by the pressures of improving patient outcomes and managing operational efficiencies. In this context, awards such as the Everest Award play a crucial role. The Everest Award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate high performance and rapid improvement over time, thereby encouraging a culture of excellence and accountability in healthcare.
The Everest Award is a recognition presented by Premier, Inc., aimed at distinguishing hospitals that achieve significant performance improvements over a five-year period. Hospitals awarded the Everest Award must not only show high current performance metrics but also demonstrate the fastest rates of improvement on a balanced scorecard of performance measures. This award has multiple purposes: it highlights institutions excelling in quality of care, operational efficiency, patient safety, and management practices. It also motivates other hospitals to aim for similar performance.
In 2025, only 17 facilities were honored with the Everest Award, all showing exceptional performance relative to their peers. This small number reflects the consistently high standards necessary for such recognition.
Key metrics used to assess eligibility for the Everest Award include:
One example of significant performance improvement is St. Francis Medical Center in California, awarded the Everest Award in 2025. Since joining Prime Healthcare in 2020, the hospital has made substantial enhancements in care quality and operational practices. It received recognition for achieving 39% fewer inpatient deaths and 32% fewer healthcare-associated infections compared to its peers.
Another example is HCA Florida Trinity Hospital. In 2025, this institution received the Everest Award for its commitment to high-quality care. CEO Mike Irvin credits this achievement to ongoing improvement within the hospital and highlights strong teamwork among staff and physicians. This reflects a broader reality: a dedicated workforce significantly impacts healthcare delivery.
El Camino Health has also been recognized, becoming one of the 29 hospitals to receive the Everest Award in 2024. It holds the Magnet® Designation for Nursing Excellence, indicating its commitment to high-quality patient care and operational improvements. Further recognitions, like those from the American College of Cardiology, acknowledge El Camino’s notable performance in cardiovascular care.
Such achievements indicate that hospitals awarded the Everest Award not only improve their own benchmarks but also contribute to overall public health outcomes. If all hospitals matched the performance of this year’s highest performers, estimates suggest that over 331,000 additional lives could have been saved, while approximately $15.1 billion in inpatient costs could have been avoided.
The Everest Award program relies on data to assess performance improvements. Hospitals evaluated for this honor undergo careful analysis based on publicly available datasets, including Medicare cost reports and care quality metrics. The emphasis on transparency allows hospitals to make informed, data-driven decisions that ultimately impact patient care and operational efficiency.
David Zito, President of Performance Services at Premier, noted that the program provides hospitals with a standard for progress. This actionable data helps leaders identify areas for improvement while holding them accountable for delivering high-quality care consistently. Hospitals showing favorable performance on these metrics are recognized not only for current capabilities but also for a commitment to ongoing improvement.
Annual evaluations highlight trends in healthcare quality, pinpointing effective strategies that can be adopted by other institutions. Such benchmarking allows hospital administrators to identify best practices and motivates them to enhance their internal processes.
The Everest Award also emphasizes the role hospitals play within their communities. Recognizing a hospital’s good standing in local health is beneficial for more than just receiving accolades. It leads to better community health outcomes through accessible services and preventive care programs. For instance, Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center provided over $1.6 billion in community benefits in 2023, reaffirming its commitment not only to quality care but also to health equity and community service.
Tampa General Hospital strengthened its contributions to community health by partnering with local organizations to implement essential health programs. These collaborations are increasingly seen as vital components of effective healthcare delivery in modern America.
As hospitals adopt advanced technologies, solutions like AI and workflow automation become important. AI can enhance decision-making based on data and streamline administrative processes. For example, Simbo AI specializes in automating front-office phone management for healthcare facilities, allowing staff to concentrate on more critical responsibilities—such as patient care—while AI manages routine inquiries, appointment scheduling, and follow-ups.
Workflow automation can reduce the time spent on tasks like documentation management, patient data entry, and billing. These improvements let healthcare administrators focus on enhancing care quality and operational efficiency, which aligns with the metrics used to determine Everest Award recipients.
Consider El Camino Health’s use of technology to manage cardiac procedures. By employing algorithms to monitor patient outcomes and operational metrics, the hospital can adapt its strategies to ensure they maintain high standards of care. Such technological integrations can have a significant impact on overall performance, improving patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.
Additionally, AI plays a crucial role in predictive analytics, helping hospitals anticipate patient volume, optimize staffing, and identify inefficiencies across departments. Data-driven insights can enable hospital administrators to make proactive adjustments that align with long-term performance goals, ultimately supporting their competitiveness for awards like the Everest Award.
The pursuit of awards like the Everest reinforces a culture focused on excellence among hospital staff and leadership. CEOs and administrators play an important role in creating an environment that encourages problem-solving and continuous learning. Mike Irvin, CEO of HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, highlights this approach, affirming how the collective commitment of team members influences clinical outcomes.
Engagement across all staff levels promotes accountability and transparency, essential for building an environment conducive to improvement. Leadership must prioritize communication, encouraging team members to discuss challenges and propose solutions without fear of criticism. By fostering such a culture, hospital administrators can drive initiatives that meet award criteria and, most importantly, enhance patient care.
The Everest Award serves as a significant standard for excellence in healthcare. It celebrates hospitals that demonstrate outstanding performance improvements while also emphasizing the role of data, innovative technology, and community engagement in creating a quality-driven healthcare environment.
As healthcare administrators, owners, and information technology managers review best practices and operational efficiencies, the trends and findings from Everest Award recipients can guide improvements in service delivery at their institutions. By focusing on enhancing clinical outcomes, operational efficiencies, and patient experiences, these professionals can contribute to an evolving healthcare system, ensuring quality care for all patients. The journey toward excellence benefits not only the hospitals striving for recognition but also the patients and communities they serve.
The 100 Top Hospitals® program aims to inspire hospital and health system leaders to pursue higher performance and enhance value for the communities they serve by providing objective, reliable indicators of operational excellence.
Performance is measured through annual, quantitative studies that evaluate hospitals and health systems against established benchmarks, emphasizing operational excellence.
Transparency allows health system leaders to compare their performance with competitors using unbiased metrics, fostering accountability and improvement in healthcare delivery.
Recognition as a top performer reflects excellence in leadership and governance, providing a reputation boost and potentially increasing patient trust and community engagement.
The Everest Award honors hospitals that not only achieve a top rank in the 100 Top Hospitals® program but also demonstrate significant improvement in their performance.
While both programs aim to improve healthcare value, the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals® specifically highlights excellence in cardiovascular care based on transparent criteria.
If all U.S. hospitals achieved this benchmark, it could lead to 331,000 additional lives saved, $15.1 billion in inpatient cost savings, and significantly improved patient outcomes.
Patients could experience fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced readmission rates, enhancing the overall quality of care.
The program uses significant indicators of operational excellence such as patient outcomes, efficiency metrics, and healthcare delivery effectiveness.
The 100 Top Hospitals® program strictly does not allow any form of ‘pay-to-play,’ ensuring that rankings are purely based on actual performance rather than financial contributions.
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