Awards aren't the reason St. Jude pursues excellence, exceeds national standards and benchmarks, or offers life-changing compassion to patients. But each new honor is a reminder of the unique commitment we bring to our patients and their loved ones.

Most hospitals will never earn a national award for clinical quality or patient safety, but our doctors, nurses, therapists and caregivers have made it almost routine. Here are a few we received in 2020:

1. Healthgrades: We were named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals in four specialties—stroke care, orthopedic surgery, cardiac care, and critical care—as well as one of the nation's 250 Best Hospitals across all specialties.
2. Healthgrades Patient Experience: St. Jude earned the Healthgrades 2020 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, for the third year in a row. This distinction recognizes St. Jude as being among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for patient experience.
3. U.S. News & World Report. The influential magazine recognized St. Jude as one of the nation's highest performing hospitals, from orthopedics and colon cancer to heart failure and neurosurgery.
4. Newsweek: St. Jude has been recognized as part of Newsweek's annual list of the World's Best Hospitals for 2020. This prestigious award honors hospitals that are at the forefront of adapting to new challenges and providing high-quality patient care.
5. CARF: Our comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services were recognized by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). St. Jude is one of only two facilities in Southern California to receive accreditation in both spinal cord and brain injury and one of three in the state to receive accreditation in stroke rehabilitation.
6. Modern Healthcare: The magazine recently named St. Jude first among California hospitals—and 22^nd in the nation—for best places to work. This honor reflects the unique culture and work environment that makes all the other awards possible.
7. Blue Distinction Center: Blue Cross and Blue Shield named St. Jude a Blue Distinction Center in a wide variety of areas, including knee and hip replacement and spine surgery, cardiac care and maternity. This designation is designed to help consumers identify top performing hospitals in quality and safety.
8. The Joint Commission and AHA/ASA: We earned the nation's highest honor in stroke care, becoming one of only a few hospitals in the state to be recognized as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. Awarded by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, this award distinguishes our expertise and outcomes as among the very best.
9. CMS: St. Jude was again the only hospital in Orange County to earn five-stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid for overall quality and safety. Only 7 percent of U.S. hospitals earned the five-star distinction,which covers 57 different measures, from preventable complications and infections to patient satisfaction.