UConn John Dempsey Hospital demonstrates exceptional clinical performance in treatment of sepsis, pneumonia and hip fracture, and in upper gastrointestinal surgeries, according to objective measures of patient outcomes.

The 2026 analysis from the health care consumer platform Healthgrades recognizes John Dempsey Hospital with five-star ratings in these four areas of care.

“The ongoing recognition we continue to receive from Healthgrades is continued validation of the exceptional care provided to our patients, based on objective, quantifiable data,” says Caryl Ryan, the hospital’s chief operating officer and UConn Health’s chief nursing officer. “Our patients deserve and expect consistent, high-quality care within a supportive and caring clinical environment. Thank you to all of our faculty and staff for their hard work in obtaining this outstanding recognition.”

This is the first year UConn Health has earned this distinction for hip fracture treatment.

“Hip fractures are unfortunately very common,” says Dr. Isaac Moss, chair of the UConn Health Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “While the surgical procedures are often straightforward, both the fracture and the treatment place a lot of stress on people who are often older with complex medical problems. Our health center has invested a lot of resources into ensuring that our patients with hip fractures are treated by an experienced multidisciplinary team, that conducts a detailed preoperative assessment, provides excellent operative care, and coordinates post-operative care, including post-discharge care. Over the past several years, thanks to this team effort, we have seen care being delivered quicker and with improved outcomes.”

It’s the fourth consecutive year of five-star ratings for upper gastrointestinal surgeries.

“I am thrilled to hear of our continuing success in gastrointestinal diseases and its recognition by Healthgrades is very much welcomed,” says Dr. John Birk, chief of UConn Health’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. “It’s the result of the entire health care team in gastroenterology and their extra efforts. It’s nice to see the award and recognition, but I see all of them delivering award-winning care every day.

The ratings are based on Healthgrades’ analysis of risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 common conditions at nearly 4,500 short-term acute-care hospitals in the U.S. and Medicare patient data from 2022 to 2024. The top 15% of hospitals with outcomes considered “better than expected” when comparing predicted clinical performance to actual clinical performance earn five stars.

It’s the second consecutive year UConn John Dempsey Hospital earned five-star ratings in treatment of pneumonia and sepsis.

“At UConn Health, excellence in pneumonia care is achieved through collaboration across the entire care continuum,” says Michelle DeLayo, associate vice president of nursing operations and quality. “Primary and specialty providers partner closely with nursing and respiratory teams to ensure seamless transitions from hospital to home. Pulmonary clinic nurses conduct post-discharge follow-up calls to reinforce discharge instructions and confirm follow-up appointments, while inpatient nurses are empowered to administer pneumonia vaccines under nurse-driven protocols — helping improve prevention and continuity of care.”

Six years ago, UConn Health identified sepsis management as an area for improvement and launched a dedicated sepsis nurse team focused on real-time monitoring and adherence to national sepsis guidelines.

“Through interdisciplinary collaboration between the emergency department, critical care, and inpatient units, UConn Health has shown major improvement in compliance with the guidelines, resulting in lower 30-day mortality, higher discharge-to-home rates, and fewer readmissions,” DeLayo says. “These results reflect UConn Health’s mission to help people achieve and maintain healthy lives.”

Learn more about orthopedic surgery at UConn Health.

Learn more about gastroenterology and hepatology at UConn Health.

Learn more about UConn Health’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

Learn more about UConn Health’s Pulmonary Center.