Awards and Recognition | Medical Center | UC Davis Health

Commitment to Quality and Safety

Awards and Recognitions

UC Davis Health is proud to have earned accolades and recognition by virtue of its medical excellence and significant health care contributions.

  • One of America’s best hospitals, and No. 1 in Sacramento

    UC Davis Medical Center ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals for 2023-24 in eight adult medical specialties, according to the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey published in August 2023. The annual ranking analyzes nearly 5,000 hospitals and recognizes those that excel in treating the most serious and challenging injuries and illnesses.

    UC Davis ranked among the U.S. top 50 in:

    • cancer
    • cardiology, heart & vascular surgery
    • diabetes & endocrinology
    • ENT
    • geriatrics
    • neurology & neurosurgery
    • obstetrics & gynecology
    • pulmonology & lung surgery

    The medical center was once again No. 1 in the Sacramento area, and among the top 10 in California.

  • High-performing in many common procedures and conditions

    U.S. News & World Report also rated UC Davis Medical Center the top level of “high-performing” in several common types of health procedures and conditions, including:

    • colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, and leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
    • ovarian cancer surgery and uterine cancer surgery
    • prostate cancer surgery
    • diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    • hip fracture and hip replacement
    • kidney failure
  • Among the nation’s best children’s hospitals

    U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Davis Children’s Hospital among the nation’s best children’s hospitals in three pediatric specialties in 2023-24 ratings:

    • diabetes & endocrinology
    • nephrology
    • orthopedics (in collaboration with longstanding partner Shriners Children’s)
  • Nation’s highest recognition for nursing excellence

    UC Davis Medical Center was granted the nation’s highest form of recognition for nursing excellence, Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), again in 2023.

    Less than 10 percent of U.S. hospitals generally carry Magnet® designation, which is valid for four years and a benchmark for the quality of care patients receive.

  • Among America’s best medical and nursing schools

    UC Davis School of Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis rank among the best graduate schools in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

    In its annual list of America’s best medical schools for 2023-2024, the magazine named the medical school No. 3 for its diversity, No. 5 in family medicine, and No. 6 in primary care. It also ranked No. 15 in psychiatry, No. 22 in public health (tie), and No. 50 for research (tie).

    In its list of the nation’s best nursing schools for 2023-24, the publication ranked the School of Nursing’s master’s-degree programs in nursing as 23rd for the third year, tied with three other schools. The rankings include the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing and the master’s degree family nurse practitioner (F.N.P.) program. The Master of Health Services — Physician Assistant Studies Degree Program (P.A.) was also 40th in the nation, tied with five other programs.

  • National Cancer Institute ‘comprehensive’ designation

    UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only two such centers in Northern California to hold “comprehensive” designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The designation is the world’s most prestigious honor in oncology, awarded to only about 1% of cancer centers nationwide.

  • America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award for 2024

    UC Davis Medical Center has been nationally recognized as a top performing hospital according to research released by Healthgrades, a website consumers use to choose hospitals and doctors.

    Receiving America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award for 2024 means the medical center is among the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance. UC Davis has been one of Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospitals for five-consecutive years.

  • Listed among nation’s top hospitals

    UC Davis Medical Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s top hospitals by the 2023 edition of Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Great hospitals in America” list. UC Davis is one of 91 hospitals nationwide, 12 in California and the only north of San Francisco on the list.

  • Autism center of excellence

    The internationally known UC Davis MIND Institute has achieved status as one of nine National Institutes of Health-supported Autism Centers of Excellence and as a federally designated Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

  • Rated among the Best Maternity Care Hospitals

    UC Davis Medical Center was named to Newsweek’s 2023 Best Maternity Hospitals, its fourth year in a row on the list. The distinction recognizes facilities that provide exceptional care to mothers, newborns and their families.

  • Center of Excellence – Obstetric anesthesia service

    UC Davis Medical Center’s obstetric anesthesia service is one of 17 globally to receive the prestigious Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology’s (SOAP) Center of Excellence designation

  • Leader in Healthcare Equality

    For the 11th consecutive year, UC Davis Medical Center was recognized as a LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader in 2022 by the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

  • Consumer Loyalty Best in Class Award

    The market research company NRC Health has awarded UC Davis Health its Consumer Loyalty Best in Class Award. Each year NRC Health ranks 100 health care facilities based on their consumer loyalty score. Winners lead the industry in delivering exceptional patient experiences.

  • Sacramento region top doctors

    Nearly 300 UC Davis Health physicians received Top Docs honors in Sactown Magazine’s list published in winter 2024. See the list here

  • Best Hospitals for Billing Ethics

    UC Davis Medical Center is recognized as one of Money-Leapfrog’s 2022 Best Hospitals for Billing Ethics. Money magazine partnered with The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization for health care consumers and purchasers.

  • Most Wired recognition for 11th year in a row

    UC Davis Health has received Digital Health Most Wired recognition from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The Most Wired program looks at how well health care organizations use technology to improve the health of their communities. 

    UC Davis Health was one of only 17 U.S. hospitals, and the only in California, to achieve the highest level (10) in both acute and ambulatory categories.

  • Patient-centered primary care

    UC Davis Medical Group primary care clinics are designated as Patient-Centered Medical Homes by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Medical homes:

    • emphasize shared decisions to help patients to make informed choices and receive better results
    • stress strong communication and coordination among all of a patient’s health care providers
    • offer patients better access through expanded hours and online communication
  • Recognized as a leader in environmental excellence by Practice Greenhealth

    UC Davis Health has been honored as a Top 25 hospital for environmental sustainability by Practice Greenhealth, and recognized for “greening the operating room” and for sustainability practices in food, procurement, water, transportation, and green building.

  • A 2022 Health Care Climate Champion

    UC Davis Health has been recognized by Health Care Without Harm as a 2022 Climate Champion for commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. UC Davis Health was one of only 55 health systems recognized internationally, and 19 in the U.S.

  • America’s Greatest Workplaces

    UC Davis Health appears on Newsweek’s lists of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023 and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023.

  • Re-verified level I Children’s Surgery Center

    UC Davis Children’s Hospital has been re-verified as a level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the world’s largest scientific and educational association of surgeons. In 2016 UC Davis was the first hospital on the West Coast and fourth in the nation to earn the verification.

  • National certification for heart attack care

    UC Davis Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Heart Attack Center (PHAC) Certification. PHAC certifications are awarded to centers devoted to consistent, organized, quality care for STEMI/heart attack cases.

  • National recognition for heart disease and stroke care

    UC Davis Medical Center has been recognized with multiple awards by the American Heart Association for commitment to following research-based guidelines for heart disease and stroke treatment:

    • Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award
      • Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll
      • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
      • Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll
    • Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Silver Plus Award
      • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
    • Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Silver Plus Award 
  • Comprehensive stroke center

    UC Davis Medical Center has been certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the organization’s highest level of stroke certification for hospitals with specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases.

  • Platinum Level Excellence in Life Support Award

    UC Davis Medical Center has received the Platinum Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) for its lifesaving support for failing organ systems in infants, children and adults. UC Davis is first hospital in California to receive the honor. 

  • Excellences award for intensive care units (ICUs)

    The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has recognized several intensive care units at UC Davis Health with Beacon Awards for Excellence. The awards recognize units that set the standard for excellence by using innovation and implementation science to improve patient outcomes. Awardees as of early 2024 included:

    • Gold-level awards for UC Davis Medical Center’s Tower 7 Medical Surgical Intensive Care Units (MSICU), the Medical ICU, and the Cardiothoracic Progressive Care Unit
    • Silver-level awards for the medical center’s Tower 2 Surgical ICU and the Pavilion PACU and CSC PACU
    • Gold-level awards for UC Davis Health’s Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit and the Firefighters Burn Institute Reg Burn Center
    • A gold-level award to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
    • A silver-level award for the Children’s Hospital PICU/PCICU. 
  • Leading-edge provider of care in vascular and vein medicine

    The UC Davis Vascular Center’s vein program has been accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for the evaluation and treatment of venous disorders. Accreditation signifies care in accordance with national standards and benchmarks. 

  • Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence

    The Huntington’s Disease Society of America named UC Davis a Level 1 Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence and a Center of Excellence for Family Services and Research.

  • Level 4 epilepsy center

    The UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program is a member of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers and a self-designated Level 4 Epilepsy Center, signifying highest-level evaluation and treatment abilities for complex epilepsy. 

  • Meets the highest quality standards for cancer care

    UC Davis Oncology & Hematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center are recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), for meeting national guidelines and standards for high-quality care.

  • Age-Friendly Health Systems designations

    UC Davis Health has earned Age-Friendly Health Systems designation for:

    • UC Davis Medical Center’s inpatient services
    • UC Davis Medical Center’s emergency department
    • UC Davis Health’s Healthy Aging Clinic for older adults

    UC Davis Health has also earned membership in the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program at the Senior Friendly level of designation. The measures are all part of UC Davis Health’s Healthy Aging Initiative

  • Recognized for leadership in emergency care for older adults

    The geriatric emergency department at UC Davis Medical Center earned Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation at the highest “gold” level from the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2022, becoming one of only 21 other U.S. EDs with gold status.

  • Comprehensive Education Institute for virtual care

    The UC Davis Center for Virtual Care has been accredited as a Comprehensive Education Institute by the American College of Surgeons, an honor bestowed on only a handful of simulation centers worldwide. Accreditation acknowledges exceptional educational opportunities that allow health professionals to practice their skills and explore new procedures and technologies. 

  • Listed Emerging Champion – Frontline Healthcare Worker Recognition

    UC Davis Health was recognized nationwide as an Emerging Champion of the Frontline Healthcare Worker Recognition program by CareerSTAT. The health system continues to support and invest in education and workforce development for frontline employees. 

  • Recognized for Highest Level of Specialty Quality Care

    The UC Davis Health Specialty Pharmacy has been accredited for the highest level of commitment to quality care, improved processes, best practices, and successful patient outcomes by the nonprofit Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC).

  • 2020 Smart Catch Leader

    UC Davis Medical Center is Sacramento’s largest farm-to-fork food service, and was honored as the only hospital in the nation – and the only Sacramento venue – recognized as a 2020 Smart Catch Leader by the James Beard Foundation for culinary excellence and sustainable food practices.