Between 5% and 10% of all hospitals nationwide earn Healthgrades' “five-star recipient” honor for a specialty service, a recognition of clinical excellence based on Medicare data.

St. Francis - Emory Healthcare recently earned several awards for its Cardiology services from Healthgrades, which uses Medicare data to measure a hospital’s clinical excellence. Only 5-10% of the 4,500 hospitals reviewed achieve excellence in any of the 16 specialty areas assessed by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers.

Healthgrades honored St. Francis’ cardiac care specialty with the following recognitions:

• Recipient of the Healthgrades’ 2026 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award
• Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2026
• Named Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2026

“With our outstanding cardiologists and diagnostic and interventional cardiology services, St. Francis - Emory Healthcare has long been the region’s leader in providing exceptional heart care,” said Bill Little, CEO of the hospital. “These latest recognitions are a testament to our team, their clinical skill, and the compassion they bring to their patients and their often life-saving work. You don’t make national listings like this unless you consistently deliver positive patient outcomes and experiences."

St. Francis - Emory’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, including cardiac care services. 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.*

“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, M.D., MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize St. Francis - Emory Healthcare for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas such as cardiac care.”

Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care. To learn more about St. Francis - Emory Healthcare and its specialty services, visit mystfrancis.com.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2026 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology.

About St. Francis - Emory Healthcare

Since opening our doors in 1950, the caregivers at St. Francis - Emory Healthcare have been committed each day to providing the highest quality care in West Georgia and East Alabama. With 376 beds on two campuses, more than 2,500 associates, and 300 physicians, we offer a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room services, including the only open-heart surgery program in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley. Learn more about St. Francis - Emory Healthcare at mystfrancis.com.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central and Bezzy, which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives each month.