Top Safety ratings from Healthgrades earned by Methodist Hospital Hill Country

Fredericksburg, TX — Methodist Hospital Hill Country has been recognized as a 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital.  This award reflects the hospitals commitment to safe, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety

Methodist Hospital Hill Country’s achievement is based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the national leaders in patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates from approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across 13 patient safety indicators (PSIs), with each PSI representing a serious, preventable complication. 

“Keeping patients safe is foundational to everything we do at Methodist Hospital Hill Country. Being named a 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades reflects the unwavering focus and teamwork of our physicians, nurses and colleagues, and our commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care for every patient, every day,” said Emily Mochan, chief operating officer at Methodist Hospital Hill Country.

Healthgrades’ annual analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest-and lowest-achieving facilities, making it increasingly important for consumers to seek care at a hospital with top safety ratings. During the 2022-2024 study period, 167,228 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients at U.S. hospitals, with four PSIs accounting for nearly 78% of all incidents. Patients treated at Methodist Hospital Hil Country and other award-winning facilities had a profoundly lower risk of experiencing these leading complications: 

• In-hospital fall resulting in fracture (52.4% less likely)
• Collapsed lung due to a procedure in or around the chest (57.5% less likely)
• Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely)
• Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (71.9% less likely)

"The data behind this year’s Patient Safety Excellence Award highlights how measurable improvements in safety can prevent thousands of complications,” said Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “By prioritizing evidence-based safety practices, Methodist Hospital Hill Country is achieving better clinical outcomes and cultivating a culture where patients come first.” 

Where you’re treated matters, which is why Healthgrades is committed to providing the most scientifically accurate information about doctors and hospitals–with data insights not available anywhere else. For additional guidance on finding safe, high-quality care in 2026. 

*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award Methodology, which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2025.0.1) to MedPAR data from approximately 4,500 hospitals for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.