Awards and Honors

Why Quality Matters

UTMB Health is dedicated to providing a world-class patient experience for our patients by delivering the most advanced care and providing the highest level of safety in our hospitals and clinics so patients can have the best possible outcomes. 

Quality of care rankings and awards help patients make informed decisions on which health care providers deliver the highest quality of care in a safe environment.  While recognition for our ongoing efforts to deliver the best care is nice, the true value of quality of care rankings and awards is helping patients decide with confidence where to seek care. 

  • What UTMB’s commitment to safety and quality of care means for our patients:

    Best Care

    Delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right way, for the right person – and have the best possible results – every patient, every time.

    Infographic - patient and doctor talking

    Patient Safety

    Avoiding complications and adverse events, like bed sores, blood infections or clots, and surgical infections, following surgeries, procedures and childbirth.

    Patient Outcomes

    Lower readmission rates, average length of hospital stay, frequency of complications, and mortality rates.

    Comprehensive Care

    Providing the complete spectrum of care with treatments by leading specialists.

    Better Access

    An integrated system of care with primary and specialty clinic locations and hospitals close to where you live, work and play.

Watson Health 100 top hosipitals

UTMB Health earns spot on best hospitals list

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has been named to the IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list. Specifically, UTMB ranked in the top 15 nationwide among major teaching hospitals on the list.

map of 15 teaching hospitals

IBM Watson Health recognizes hospitals of all sizes in five different categories – major teaching hospitals, large community hospitals, medium community hospitals and smaller community hospitals.

UTMB was the only teaching hospital in the Houston area recognized and one of only three in Texas.

The list, issued annually, was established to help identify top performance benchmarks that may help other health care organizations achieve consistent, balanced, sustainable high performance.

watsontop100IBM Watson praises the hospitals on the list for operations and efficiency and noted that if all health care facilities followed their lead it would save 106,000 lives and reduce health care costs by $8.3 billion.

“It means a great deal to UTMB that we have been recognized as a top teaching hospital,” said Dr. Gulshan Sharma, vice president and chief medical and clinical innovation officer. “As an academic medical center, we treat seriously ill patients who often require complex care. We could not have achieved this without an incredible team that is dedicated to delivering quality care.”

According to the IBM Watson website, the 100 Top Hospitals list is determined using independent and objective research to analyze hospital performance. Organizations do not apply or pay for this honor or pay to promote their award.  Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry.

Tim Harlin, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the UTMB Health System, said the award means even more during this time when all health care systems are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“We are proud to be the only teaching hospital in the region to achieve this recognition,” said Harlin. “It shows UTMB’s commitment to continue providing high-quality care to the community we serve, even during these challenging times.”  

To determine the hospitals included on the IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list, IBM Watson Health researchers evaluated 3,134 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals.”

All Awards 

Contacts & Resources

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