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UTMB recognized with specialty excellence clinical achievements from Healthgrades

The University of Texas Medical Branch announced today that it has achieved numerous accolades for clinical excellence from Healthgrades.

Among UTMB’s distinctions are for Specialty Excellence Awards, placing the hospital among the nation’s top 10% for pulmonary care, gastrointestinal surgery and critical care. UTMB was also rated five stars for eight services, including treatment of heart failure, pacemaker procedures, spinal fusion surgery, treatment of pneumonia, colorectal surgeries, upper GI surgeries, treatment of sepsis and treatment of respiratory failure.

“At UTMB, our commitment to delivering high-quality specialty care is reflected not only in our clinical outcomes but also in the prestigious awards and ratings from Healthgrades,” said Dr. Jochen Reiser, President of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System. “These recognitions are a testament to our dedicated team’s relentless pursuit of excellence and our promise to provide patients with the highest standard of care."

UTMB’s achievements are based solely on patient outcomes, according to Healthgrades. As part of its 2025 hospital assessment, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine the top performers in specialty care.

“Healthgrades commends UTMB for their clear commitment to delivering consistently superior patient outcomes in critical service areas, including treatment of heart failure, pacemaker procedures, spinal fusion surgery, treatment of pneumonia, colorectal surgeries, upper GI surgeries, treatment of sepsis and treatment of respiratory failure,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “UTMB’s leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to clinical excellence set a high mark for specialty care in Texas and nationwide.”

For more on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality, visit healthgrades.com. A patient-friendly overview of how Healthgrades rates hospitals and why quality matters is available online.

See our 5 Star Awards

Treatment of Pneumonia
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for treatment of pneumonia

Spinal Fusion Surgery
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for spinal fusion surgery

Colorectal Surgeries
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for colorectal surgeries

Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for upper gastrointestinal surgery

Treatment of Heart Failure
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for treatment of heart failure

Pacemaker Procedures
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for pacemaker procedures

Treatment of Sepsis
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for Treatment of Sepsis

Treatment of Respiratory Failure
Healthgrades 2025 5 star award for Treatment of Respiratory Failure

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2021 through 2023 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. View the complete 2025 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology online.