Saint Michael’s Medical Center announced today that it has achieved numerous distinctions for exceptional clinical performance from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital.
Among Saint Michael’s recognitions are the Coronary Intervention Excellence Award, which places the hospital among the top 10% nationwide for coronary intervention for the fifth year in a row.
Saint Michael’s is also five-star rated for five services, including coronary interventional procedures (5 years in a row), treatment of heart failure (2 years in a row), gallbladder removal surgery (3 years in a row) and for the first time, pacemaker procedures and treatment of pneumonia.
“These recognitions from Healthgrades reflect the unwavering commitment of every member of our team to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Saint Michael’s CEO Alan Sickles, MD.
“Achieving excellence across multiple specialties — some for the fifth consecutive year — speaks to our sustained investment in clinical expertise, evidence-based practices and advanced technology,” Dr. Sickles said. “Most importantly, it reinforces our mission to ensure that the communities we serve have access to the very best care, close to home.”
Saint Michael’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. Each year, Healthgrades evaluates risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to identify the top hospitals in key specialty areas. Through easy-to-understand, objective measures of hospital performance, Healthgrades empowers patients with the information they need to find a hospital that excels in their procedure or condition.
As performance gaps persist between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving facilities, seeking care at a top program has never been more important. 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, according to Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024.
“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 Saint Michael’s for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas, including cardiac, pulmonary and gastrointestinal care.”
Saint Michael’s recently was awarded an A for patient safety for the fourth period in a row from the Leapfrog Group. It is also the only hospital in Essex County to receive a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Saint Michael’s and an “A” for social responsibility from the Lown Institute. Additionally, Saint Michael’s recently received Primary Stroke Center accreditation from The Joint Commission.
Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care.
