Awards & Magnet Certification

Always motivated to achieve more

UCLA Health is proud to claim a number of awards and achievements that distinguish our organization as a leading provider of healthcare services, not only in the United States but in the world. Some of our most recent distinctions include the following:

Magnet Designation

  • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA have earned Magnet Status for Nursing Excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet Recognition® is the highest and most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence. Magnet organizations are evaluated based on compliance with specific quality indicators and standards of nursing practice, which include maintaining appropriate nurse staffing ratios, involving nurses in decision-making processes, supporting continuing education and competence for nurses.

Awards

  • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center 2022 AACN Beacon Gold Awardees: 4ICU (Medical ICU); 8ICU (Surgical/Transplant Unit)
  • 2022 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for the 3rd year in a row. (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center both received this for 2020, 2021 & 2022)

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

  • Newsweek recognized UCLA Health on its annual list of World's Best Hospitals 2023.
  • U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospital Honor Roll recognizing the country’s top 20 medical centers has consistently included UCLA Health. In 2022–23, among more than 4,750 facilities evaluated, UCLA Health hospitals placed Top 5 in the nation and has been recognized to the honor roll for 33 consecutive years.
  • U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospital recognized UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital for its broad excellence in pediatric care in the 2022–23 rankings. The annual accolade highlights our leadership in multiple areas including: NeonatologyPediatric CancerPediatric Gastroenterology and GI surgeryPediatric NephrologyPediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery and Pediatric Orthopedics.
  • U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10 Rankings: 11 specialty areas: Ear, Nose and Throat (#2), Gastroenterology/Gastrointestinal Surgery (#3), Cancer (#5), Diabetes and Endocrinology (#5), Geriatrics (#5), Ophthalmology (#5), Orthopaedics (#5), Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (#5), Psychiatry (#6), Obstetrics and Gynecology (#8) & Rheumatology (#9).
  • U.S. News & World Report’s Psychiatry Ranking: Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA Psychiatry Los Angeles, CA #6 in Psychiatry.

Accreditations and Designations

  • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and the University of California Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center both earned an "A" for the spring 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.
  • The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 healthcare organizations each year, awarded Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center the maximum three-year accreditation.
  • The Joint Commission certified UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center as a “Primary Stroke Center.” 
  • American College of Surgeons designated Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as the highest-level Trauma Center.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Emergency Medical Services Agency accredited Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Heart Attack Receiving Center.
  • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center achieved "Straight A's" in the Fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. As the nation's most prestigious honor for patient safety, Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses more than 30 national performance measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
  • The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognized UCLA with a 2020 Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award with Honor Roll Elite and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement.
  • The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognized UCLA with a 2018 Get With the Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus Award for achieving 85% or higher adherence to all Get with the Guidelines Heart Failure Performance Achievement Indicators.
  • RAC, a national accreditation organization, granted UCLA Health a Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation, a standard for excellence in ambulatory patient care.
  • The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a program sponsored by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with a "baby-friendly" designation in 2017.
  • Press Ganey recognized Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA for outstanding nursing quality.
  • Vizienta company that seeks to help healthcare organizations deliver exceptional, cost-effective patient care, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Health with the 2017 Rising Star Award for making significant improvements in year-over-year performance in quality and accountability.
  • CAPG, an association representing physician organizations in 38 states, recognized UCLA Medical Group with the highest rating possible in its 2017 Standards of Excellence Survey.
  • Healthgrades, a resource connecting consumers and healthcare organizations, recognized Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center as Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.
  • Healthgrades named UCLA Health as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals in 2021 for the 3rd year in a row. This recognition goes to the top 2% in the nation for consistently delivering clinical quality year after year.

Workplace and Culture

  • Johnese Spisso, President, UCLA Health and CEO, UCLA Hospital System, has been recognized on Becker’s Hospital Review's 2023 list of "Great Healthcare Leaders to Know" for healthcare innovation, inclusivity, access to quality care and the transformation of the healthcare system.
  • Forbes recognized UCLA Health as one of America’s Best Large Employers 2023, reaching #7 in Healthcare and #21 in the Nation.
  • Our employees love what they do, where they work, and the people they work with. In fact, we were Certified by Newsweek in 2022 as a Most Loved Workplace, as well as one of the Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces – #6 in Healthcare and #82 in the Nation.
  • With so many career options in California, we’re honored to have been named a Forbes Best Employer by State for 2022. In fact, we’re #1 in Healthcare and #9 in the state.
  • Empowering and equipping women to reach their highest professional and personal potential enabled us to be named one of Forbes Best Employers for Women – #5 in Healthcare, #20 in the Nation.
  • Forbes recognized UCLA Health as one of America’s Best Large Employers, reaching #10 in Healthcare and #42 in the Nation.
  • We’re focused on continually elevating diversity and inclusion in the workplace and have been named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity for 2022. We’re ranked #5 in Healthcare and #55 in the Nation.
  • The prestigious and respected Becker’s Hospital Review named UCLA Health one of the Top Places to Work by in 2022.
  • Getting your career off to a great start depends a lot on where you start, and we were named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for New Graduates in 2022 – #3 in Healthcare, #6 in Nation.