Northwestern Medicine Recognized by Vizient as 2026 Birnbaum Quality Leadership Top Performers and 2026 Ambulatory Quality and Accountability Top Performer

CHICAGO – Northwestern Medicine announces it has been recognized as a top performer by Vizient^® in both the 2026 Birnbaum Quality and Accountability Ranking category as well as its 2026 Ambulatory Quality and Accountability. Six Northwestern Medicine hospitals have been recognized as a top performer in the 2026 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Ranking by Vizient. The Northwestern Medicine hospitals that were recognized include:

• Academic Medical Center cohort: Northwestern Memorial Hospital
• Large Specialized Complex Care Medical Center cohort
  • Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
  • Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital
• Complex Care Medical Center cohort:
  • Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
  • Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital
• Community Hospital cohort: Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital
• Pediatric cohort: Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

“This recognition reflects the dedication our physicians, nurses and staff hold in delivering exceptional care every day,” said Howard Chrisman, MD, president and chief executive officer, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “Being among the nation’s top-performing health systems demonstrates our continued focus on advancing medicine, strengthening outcomes and making high-quality care accessible close to home. Above all, this honor represents the confidence our patients place in Northwestern Medicine and the extraordinary care our teams provide across our health system.”

This year, 1,346 participating hospitals were segmented into seven cohorts for the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study. The study measures performance on the quality of patient care in six domains: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and variation in care. The study factors in measures from the Vizient Clinical Data Base and includes performance data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey and the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.

Additionally, Northwestern Health Network Medical Group was one of only five medical groups in the country to be acknowledged for the Ambulatory Quality and Accountability Top Performer category, demonstrating excellence in delivering high-quality outpatient care.  

“Delivering consistently high-quality care requires organizations to align clinical expertise, operational discipline and a continuous focus on improvement,” said David Levine, MD, chief medical officer, Vizient. “The hospitals recognized this year demonstrate what is possible when that commitment is embedded across the organization, resulting in better performance and, most importantly, better care for patients.”