Stony Brook University Hospital and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital have been recognized as a leader in patient care, earning a spot on Castle Connolly’s 2026 Top Hospitals list.
Castle Connolly Top Hospitals recognizes the nation’s leading healthcare institutions. The 2026 list includes 1,663 Top Hospitals, selected from over 6,000 hospitals nationwide. These hospitals were evaluated for their overall excellence, as well as their performance in six specialties and nineteen procedures. SBUH and SBSH were recognized for its clinical expertise in a variety of specialties and procedures, including:
Stony Brook University Hospital for National and State Specialty Award in General Surgery and State Procedure Award in Hernia Repair; and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital for National and State Specialty Award in ObGyn Surgery and National and State Procedure Award in C-Section.
“Being named to Castle Connolly Top Hospitals list is a powerful affirmation of the exceptional care delivered every day across Stony Brook Medicine,” said William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President at Stony Brook Medicine. “This recognition reflects not only our strength in key specialties like general surgery and OB/GYN, but also our unwavering commitment to advancing clinical excellence, innovation, and patient-centered care across Long Island.”
“This recognition reflects the extraordinary commitment of our teams to deliver safe, high-quality, and compassionate care,” said Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer of Stony Brook University Hospital. “Being honored for our expertise in general surgery and hernia repair underscores the strength of our clinical programs and our focus on achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.”
“These awards in OB/GYN surgery and C-section care reflect the strength of our women’s health programs and the trust families place in us during some of life’s most important moments,” said Emily Mastaler, MA, MBA, Chief Administrative Officer at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “It is a testament to the dedication of our clinical and support teams, who work tirelessly to provide compassionate, high-quality care close to home.”
The recognition is based on a comprehensive, outcomes-driven methodology, which combines recent all-payor outcomes data with Castle Connolly’s Top Doctor evaluations, focused on clinical expertise. This approach provides a clear, data-informed view of where high-quality care is being delivered today.
“Our goal is to make complex healthcare decisions easier for patients and their healthcare providers,” said Steve Leibforth, Managing Director at Castle Connolly. “By combining current outcomes data with the vetted expertise of Top Doctors, we highlight hospitals that truly excel in specific procedures, supporting patients in their most critical healthcare decisions.”
According to recent research by Castle Connolly, nearly 60% of consumers indicate that hospital rankings influence their choice of care – highlighting the growing importance of trusted, accessible quality measures.