Top Hip and Knee Surgery Hospitals in America – Per CMS

What makes a “top” hip and knee replacement hospital?

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), it is a combination of low complication rates, high patient satisfaction scores and low prices.

We would add one more criteria. Experience.

It is well accepted (and supported by hospital discharge data) that high volume hip/knee replacement hospitals tend to have the lowest complication, revision and re-admittance rates.

But, if you want to get right to the good stuff, here is some of it—at least as it relates to the best hospitals in the United States for hip or knee replacement surgery.

A quick note about bias. This data is biased.

Since it is from CMS, it is weighted toward Medicare patients. Not all hospitals or doctors accept Medicare patients. Also, Medicare patients are not representative of the overall U.S. population. They are typically over 65 years old. They are more likely to be female. And they are more likely to have co-morbidities like diabetes or high blood pressure.

On the other hand, they are a nearly perfect demographic for hip and knee surgery. Arthritis runs rampant in this age cohort and the clear majority of hip and knee arthroplasties are performed on these patients.

So. It’s good data. It will uncover the top hospitals. It just won’t uncover ALL the top hospitals. Some worthy institutions are missing. And, please, don’t hesitate to let us know if we did miss a noteworthy addition to this list.

The 17 Top Hip/Knee Hospitals with Best Pricing

Hoag Orthopedic Institute: Irvine, California

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $20,998. 2,911 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

For the 14th consecutive year, Hoag has been chosen as the most preferred hospital by Orange County residents, and received National Research Corporation’s (NRC) Consumer Choice Award. Hoag scored above the national comparisons and ranked second out of 232 California hospitals in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey Patient Satisfaction Report.

Christiana Care Health Services: Wilmington, Delaware

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $20,193. 2,826 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Christiana Care’s orthopedic care programs were awarded “Medical Excellence” designation by CareChex where it was ranked: The No. 3 hospital in the nation for major orthopedic surgery and No. 1 in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The No. 6 hospital in the nation for spinal fusion and No. 1 in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The No. 7 hospital in the nation for spinal surgery and No. 1 in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The No. 10 hospital in the nation for joint replacement care.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center: Santa Monica, California

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $18,896. 2,222 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center was recognized by Healthgrades for being one of: America’s 50 Best Hospitals, America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement Award™, Patient Safety Excellence Award™, Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ and Neurosurgery Excellence Award.

Swedish Medical Center: Seattle, Washington

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $19,267. 2,210 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

For the 17th consecutive year, Swedish Medical Center received the Consumer Choice award from the National Research Corporation. The annual award identifies hospitals across the United States that healthcare consumers choose as having the highest quality and image.

Washington Hospital: Fremont, California

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $18,092. 2,154 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

For 10 consecutive years, Washington Hospital has received the Healthgrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award—which is awarded to the top 5% in the nation for joint replacement. In addition, Washington Hospital received a five-star designation for Total Hip Replacement for the 13th year in row, and Total Knee Replacement for the 11th year in a row.

Atlanticare Regional Medical Center – City Campus: Atlantic City, New Jersey

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $19,067. 2,072 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

A past winner of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—the nation’s highest presidential honor awarded to organizations for quality and organizational performance excellence, Atlanticare is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best hospitals in the United States for Orthopedics.

St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center: Hartford, Connecticut

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $20,915. 1,987 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center was named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience by the Women’s Choice Award®. It was also named one of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement™, named among the top 5% in the nation for Joint Replacement, a Five-star recipient for Total Knee Replacement, and a Five-star recipient for Total Hip Replacement.

Arkansas Surgical Hospital: North Little Rock, Arkansas

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $20,649. 1,972 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Arkansas Surgical Hospital is the only CMS double five-star rated hospital in Arkansas and one of only 19 in the United States. It is a physician-owned facility with 11 state-of-the-art operating rooms, 41 private patient suites, a lower than average infection rate and one of the highest nurse-to-patient ratios in the country.

Poudre Valley Hospital: Fort Collins, Colorado

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $18,982. 1,951 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

UCHealth at Poudre Valley has consistently been ranked in the top 10% nationally for Clinical Outcomes (Thomson Reuters), Patient Satisfaction (HCAHPS), Staff Engagement (MSA), Physician Engagement (Gallup) and Financial Results (Ingenix).

Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital: New Albany, Ohio

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $18,622. 1,802 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Mount Carmel New Albany was also one of the rare hospitals to receive five stars for patient satisfaction scores from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Huntsville Hospital: Huntsville, Alabama

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $21,675. 1,782 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

One of two hospitals in Alabama with the highest rating for knee replacement surgery by Consumer Reports magazine. Also awarded Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Blue Distinction Center+ recognition for knee and hip replacement. Rated “High Performing” in hip replacement and knee replacement by U.S. News and World Report.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: Los Angeles, California

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $20,636. 1,765 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

For the 20th year in a row, Cedars-Sinai has won NRC Health’s Consumer Choice Award for providing the highest-quality medical care in the Los Angeles region based on a survey of area households. Cedars-Sinai is ranked 10th nationally in orthopedics and has been named to the “Honor Roll” in U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Hospitals 2017-18.”

The Christ Hospital: Cincinnati, Ohio

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $19,450. 1,726 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

The Christ Hospital is consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top hospitals, has been named Cincinnati’s Most Preferred Hospital for 21 consecutive years by National Research Corporation (NRC), and achieved Magnet® status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in recognition of outstanding nursing care.

Mayo Clinic: Rochester, Minnesota

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $19,230. 1,724 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus has more No. 1 rankings than any other hospital in the nation, with No. 1 rankings in six specialties including orthopedics. U.S. News & World Report ranked Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota the best hospital in the nation in their 2017-2018 rankings and has been at or near the top of “Honor Roll” hospitals through the history of U.S. News and World Report‘s best-hospital rankings.

St. Francis – Downtown: Greenville, South Carolina

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $21,709. 1,724 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

St. Francis has received numerous awards including being ranked among America’s 100 Best Joint Replacement centers, 100 Best Orthopedic Surgery, Healthgrades, Five-Star for Hip and Knee Replacement, Joint Replacement Excellence Award, Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award, Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center+ for Hip and Knee Replacement.

Boone Hospital Center: Colombia, Missouri

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $21,027. 1,571 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Boone has consistently received top rankings from IVantage Health, Thomson Reuters/Solucient, National Research Association and, of course, U.S. News and World Report, where it is the No. 1 rated hospital in central Missouri.

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center: Towson, Maryland

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $18,766. 1,571 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

UM SJMC’s 6th Floor Orthopaedic nursing team received the 2017 Orthopaedic Nursing Award from the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses—first time this honor was bestowed on a hospital in Maryland. UM SJMC is in the top 5% of hospitals in the nation, as evaluated by Healthgrades.

The 3 Top Hip/Knee Hospitals When Price Is Not a Consideration

Hospital for Special Surgery: New York City, New York

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $22,946. 8,862 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Higher than average cost.

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is the No. 1 ranked hospital for orthopedics in the United States according to the U.S. News & World Report, (2017-2018). HSS also received nursing excellence recognition for a fourth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center—the New York state hospital to win four times in a row. Finally, CareChex®—an information service of Quantros, Inc.—ranked HSS No. 1 in the nation for medical excellence in both major orthopedic surgery and joint replacement for three consecutive years.

Ocala Regional Medical Center: Ocala, Florida

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $23,545. 2,082 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Higher than average cost.

U.S. News and World Report reports that Ocala Regional Medical Center has earned a “high performer” rating for its hip and knee reconstruction programs.

Sentara Leigh Hospital: Norfolk, Virginia

Average Hip/Knee Payment by CMS: $24,198. 2,043 Cases Reviewed. Lower than average complications. Lower than average cost.

Sentara Leigh has been named a “Best Hospital” by U.S. News and Report for more than 17 years. The hospital also received Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Blue Distinction for Knee and Hip Replacement and a Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence by Health Grades. The Leapfrog Group named Sentara a “Top Hospital” in part for its safety scores. Finally, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association awarded Sentara its Distinguished Service Award.

The Top 200 Hip/Knee Hospitals Organized by State