For the third consecutive year, the national health care consumer platform Healthgrades recognizes UConn’s John Dempsey Hospital with its Outstanding Patient Experience Award.

The distinction is a direct result of positive patient feedback in several critical areas of care, putting John Dempsey Hospital among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience.

“This recognition is based on an objective analysis of patient perceptions reflective of care received,” says Caryl Ryan, chief nursing officer and the UConn John Dempsey Hospital chief operating officer and vice president for quality and patient care services, who also is serving as interim vice president for patient experience. “The fact that our patients consistently recognize our overall clinical excellence is a tremendous honor and further validation of our efforts across the hospital to continue to deliver high-quality care to our patients.”

UConn Health’s is one of only two hospitals in Connecticut to earn a 2025 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, and is the only hospital in the state to win it three years running.

“This award is an affirmation of our outstanding commitment to meeting the needs of patients across a wide range of important aspects of health care,” says Dr. Scott Allen, UConn Health’s chief medical officer and the hospital’s medical director of clinical effectiveness and safety. “Being recognized three years in a row means that we are consistently patient-centric in our approach to patient care.”

Each year, Healthgrades recognizes the top hospitals nationwide that provide an exceptional experience for their patients during their hospital stay. As part of its annual analysis, Healthgrades evaluated more than 3,000 hospitals that submitted at least 100 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys, covering admissions from January 2023 to December 2023.

To determine the recipients of the Outstanding Patient Experience Award, Healthgrades applies a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures. These measures focus on patients’ perceptions of their hospital care, including staff communication, medication explanations, and cleanliness.

“We commend John Dempsey Hospital for going above and beyond to ensure patients have the best possible experience during their hospital stay and recovery process,” says Dr. Debra Gradick, senior physician consultant at Healthgrades. “Better patient experiences lead to better health outcomes, which is why it’s so important for patients to choose a hospital that excels at providing high quality, compassionate care.”

Learn more about Healthgrades’ methodology for its Outstanding Patient Experience Awards.

In addition to annual patient experience accolades in the spring, Healthgrades announces top hospitals in more than 30 specialties in the fall. Last fall, John Dempsey Hospital Earned Five-Star Ratings In Four Areas: upper gastrointestinal surgery, treatment of pneumonia, treatment of pulmonary embolism, and treatment of sepsis.