St. Mary’s Hospital Named to Forbes’ 2026 Top Hospitals List
St. Mary’s earns Five-Star Overall Distinction on Forbes Top Hospitals list
[KANKAKEE, IL] – March 9, 2026 – In a national evaluation by Forbes Magazine, St. Mary’s Hospital, a non-profit member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, is recognized as one of the country’s 2026 Top Hospitals. As the only Five-Star Overall honoree in Kankakee County and the surrounding region, St. Mary’s is part of a prestigious national ranking that focuses on high-quality, patient-centered care. This distinction places St. Mary’s among an elite group of hospitals across the United States, demonstrating excellence in clinical outcomes, operational best practices, value, and patient experience. In addition to its Overall Five-Star rating, St. Mary’s also scored Four-Stars for Outcomes, Best Practices, and Value of Care Delivered, placing it in the Top 90th percentile in the nation and among the Top Ten in the State of Illinois.
“Being recognized by Forbes as a top hospital in the nation is an affirmation of the high clinical standards we hold ourselves to every day,” said Kalisha Hill, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at St. Mary’s. “Because of the emphasis Forbes places on patient outcomes in its analysis, this recognition speaks to our hospital’s unwavering focus on clinical excellence and patient safety.”
Patrick Kerrwood, Chief Executive Officer for St. Mary’s Hospital, added, “This distinction reflects the excellent care, accountability, and compassion our physicians, nurses, and care teams bring to every patient interaction. It is an achievement that belongs to our caregivers and to the community that trusts us with their care.”
St. Mary’s remains one of the region’s most-awarded community hospitals, dedicated to preserving broader access to care for patients across Kankakee County and beyond. It has also received four “A” Grades in a row for Patient Safety by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national non-profit watchdog focused on patient safety. St. Mary’s also earned “A” grades in four areas on the Lown Institute’s 2025–26 Hospital Index for Social Responsibility: Pay Equity, Health Equity, Patient Safety, and Inclusivity. The Forbes Five-Star designation underscores the value of accessible, community-focused care and affirms St. Mary’s readiness to meet the needs of patients today and for future generations.
The Forbes Top Hospitals methodology draws on publicly reported data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and applies rigorous, data-driven criteria, with substantial emphasis on patient outcomes and adjustments for social determinants of health. This approach enables fair, evidence-based comparisons among more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide that were evaluated for the 2026 rankings.
For additional details on the Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 methodology, visit www.forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals.
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About St. Mary’s – Kankakee
Founded in 1897, St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, IL, is part of the non-profit Prime Healthcare Foundation. It is a 182-bed acute care facility that remains a cornerstone of the community, offering a comprehensive Emergency Department that is the only ED in the area with Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) by the American College of Emergency Physicians and American Geriatrics Society, recognizing it as specially trained and equipped to care for older adults. St. Mary’s also offers a full complement of specialty care. It specializes in comprehensive cardiac catheterization, cardiac ablation, advanced surgical treatments, cancer treatment, stroke, and orthopedics. It offers an array of minimally invasive procedures utilizing the latest robotic-assisted technology, along with comprehensive imaging and lab services, an onsite retail pharmacy, and dedicated inpatient rehabilitation services, all conveniently located on one campus.
