Awards & Accreditations

Our commitment to excellence every day, every time, is evident in the status and recognition that Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and its individual hospitals and programs earn:

Accreditations

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals received recognition from The Joint Commission (TJC), for their Disease Specific Certifications in elective Total Hip Replacement and elective Total Knee Replacement, Spring 2021
- St. Anne Hospital in Burien
- St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way
- St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma
- St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has earned the distinction of being the first Accredited Heart Failure System in the Northwest by The Battelle Healthcare Colloquium
- St. Joseph Medical Center bears recognition as an Accredited Heart Failure Institute
- St. Anne Hospital, St. Anthony Hospital, St. Clare Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and St. Michael Medical Center are Accredited Heart Failure Centers
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s rehabilitation programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
Cancer care at St. Michael Medical Center, St. Anne Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center are accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer.
Several Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s family birth centers have been recognized as Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction® Centers for maternity care. As Blue Distinction Centers, our family birth centers are recognized for their expertise in delivering care both safely and effectively.
- The Family Birth Center at St. Joseph Medical Center
- The Family Birth Center at St. Elizabeth Hospital
- The Family Birth Center at St. Francis Hospital
- The Family Birth Center at St. Michael Medical Center
- The Family Birth Center at St. Anne Hospital
Franciscan Sleep Disorder Treatment Centers in Lakewood, Federal Way and Gig Harbor are accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Virginia Mason Medical Center is:
- Accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, for their Colorectal Cancer program. This accrediation is for three years starting in 2023.
- Accredited by the multidisciplinary Commission on Cancer—a program of the American College of Surgeons that recognizes cancer care programs for their commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality and multidisciplinary patient-centered care. It is also the first institution in Seattle to receive accreditation from the American College of Radiology
- Accredited by The Joint Commission
St. Joseph Medical Center is:
- Named a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology™ (COEMIG™) and COEMIG designee by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and Surgical Review Corporation
- Accredited, and designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification (CSC) by DNV-GL Healthcare for a three-year term
- Accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer
St. Francis Hospital is:
- Accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer for cancer care
- Accredited as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the MBSAQIP
- Accredited by The Joint Commission
- Designated as a Center of Excellence by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program for Bariatric Surgery
- Accredited by the American College of Radiology for the St. Francis Radiation Oncology Center
The Franciscan Breast Center at St. Francis is:
- Accredited for mammography services by the American College of Radiology
- Designated as a Certified Quality Breast Center by the National Consortium of Breast Centers
- The Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma is designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology
St. Clare Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission
St. Anthony Hospital is:
- Accredited by The Joint Commission
- Accredited as a Center of Excellence in Joint Replacement by the Surgical Review Corporation, Spring 2021
St. Anne Hospital has been designated a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and Highline Cancer Center is an American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer accredited program
St. Michael Medical Center has:
- Has been designated a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission
- Received ACGME Accreditation for Family Medicine Residency Program
- Accredited as a Center of Excellence in Joint Replacement by the Surgical Review Corporation, Spring 2021

Awards

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health received the 2012 Distinction Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals for doctor videos
St. Joseph Medical Center:
- St. Joseph Medical Center has received the American Heart Association the Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Early Adopter Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of those who suffer severe heart attacks
- Has received the annual Consumer Choice Award 14 times from the National Research Corp
- Earned the 3-Star rating for excellence in cardiac surgery from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)
- Earned the prestigious 3-Star rating for excellence in thoracic oncology surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- Has received the Blue Distinction® Center for Cardiac Care from Premera Blue Cross
- Has received the elite 3-Star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for aortic valve Replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery
- Received the Joint Commission Disease-Specific Certification of Distinction for Total Hip and Knee Replacement in Spring 2021
St. Anthony Hospital:
- St. Anthony Hospital received the Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
- Recognized for Surgeons of Excellence in Joint Replacement by the Surgical Review Corporation, Spring 2021
St. Clare Hospital:
- Received The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement (recertification), Fall 2020
St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital and St. Clare Hospital are multi-year recipients of the Practice Greenhealth Partners for Change Award for innovative programs that protect the environment
St. Joseph Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital recognized by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) for excellence in lactation care
St. Elizabeth Hospital and Northwest Emergency Physicians of TeamHealth:
- Received a Stage 6 award from HIMSS Analytics for minimizing errors and prioritizing IT implementations
- Received a Stage 7 award from HIMSS Analytics for a paperless environment
- Recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for quality Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield, Spring 2021
St. Francis Hospital:
- Received Disease-Specific Certification of Distinction for Total Hip and Knee Replacement from The Joint Commission, Spring 2021
- Recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for quality Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery, Fall 2021
St. Michael Medical Center:
- Gold Level Beacon Award for Excellence – Intensive Care Unit
- Recognized by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) for excellence in lactation care.
  - Top 50 Hospitals in Cardiac Surgery
  - Recipient of Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award – two years in a row
  - Named Top 10% in the Nation for Cardiac Surgery – two years in a row
  - Five-star recipient for Coronary Bypass
  - Five-star recipient for Valve Surgery – two years in a row
  - Five-star recipient for Total Knee Replacement – seven years in a row
  - Five-star recipient for Treatment of Pneumonia – five years in a row
  - Five-star recipient for Treatment of GI Bleed – five years in a row
  - Five-star recipient for Hysterectomy – three years in a row
- STS three-star Ratings (highest) for Aortic Valve Replacement and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
- WSHA Achieving Best Care Award in recognition of achievements in patient safety
- Receives Breastfeeding Friendly Washington silver award
- Earns the Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care by Premera Blue Cross for quality maternity care
- Awarded Primary Stroke Certification by The Joint Commission
- Cancer care at Harrison Medical Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer
- Earns the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines® Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
- Earns the Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement designation by Regence BlueShield in Washington, recognizing outstanding surgical outcomes
- Recognized for Surgeons of Excellence in Joint Replacement by the Surgical Review Corporation, Spring 2021
St. Anne Hospital
- Recognized by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) for excellence in lactation care
- Cancer care at Highline Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer
- Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission
- Washington State Hospital Association Achieving Best Care Award
- Was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC)
- Silver Plus Achievement Award for Stroke Care from the American Heart and Stroke Associations
- Received a five-star rating for joint replacement surgery and excellence in orthopedics from Healthgrades, the nation's leading independent health care ratings organization
- Received The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Certification of Distinction for Total Hip and Knee Replacement in Spring 2021. First time receiving this award

Accolades

Two Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals in 2023 – Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma were recognized as top hospitals in Washington according to U.S. News & World Report.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals have recently been recognized as two of the 148 Best Hospitals in America by Money (formerly Money Magazine), in partnership with The Leapfrog Group:
- St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood
- Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals are designated as a Blue Distinction Center (BDC) for quality Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Spring 2021
- St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw
- St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way
- St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor
- St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood
- St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma
- St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale
- Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle
At the 11th annual Seattle Business magazine Leaders in Health Care Awards, three Virginia Mason executives were honored: Gary S. Kaplan, MD, chairman and CEO, Virginia Mason, received the Lifetime Achievement Award; Brian Knowles, executive director, Bailey-Boushay House, received Outstanding Medical Center or Hospital Executive, Puget Sound; and Russ Myers, CEO, Virginia Mason Memorial, received Outstanding Medical Center or Hospital Executive, Outside Puget Sound
Virginia Mason Medical Center received the 2019 America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award from Healthgrades, making this the third straight year the medical center has earned this prestigious recognition for clinical excellence
Virginia Mason became the first medical center in the Pacific Northwest to earn designation as a Donor Care Network Center of Excellence by the National Kidney Registry
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has been ranked among the Top 100 Integrated Health Networks in the nation since 2004 by IQVIA
St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center is designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Premera Blue Cross and Regence Blue Shield
St. Elizabeth Hospital:
- Is the first new hospital in Washington state to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the United States Green Building Council
- Is ranked among the 25 "Most Wired" small and rural hospitals in the nation by Hospitals and Health Networks magazine for informational technology that supports quality care and operational efficiencies
- Has attained Meaningful Use Stage 2, part of the national initiative for health care organizations to adopt and integrate electronic health records
Harrison HealthPartners Cardiothoracic Surgery is ranked the best in Washington State by Consumer Reports

Recognized for quality and patient satisfaction

2023

U.S. News & World Report ranked Virginia Mason Medical Center #1 for heart and vascular care in Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Oregon
U.S. News & World Report recognized Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) and St. Joseph Medical Center (SJMC) among the Best Regional Hospitals in Washington state
- VMMC ranks #2 in the state and #2 in the Seattle metropolitan area, and was recognized for 23 types of care
- SJMC ranks #10 in the state and #7 in the Seattle metropolitan area and was recognized for 9 types of care
- In addition, VMMC ranked #46 in the nation for Cardiology, Heart and Vascular Surgery, and earned national accolades for Gastroenterology and GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Pulmonology and Lung Surgery, and Urology
American Heart Association bestowed the following VMFH hospitals with Get with the Guidelines® awards for heart failure, including additional recognition for Heart Failure Honor Roll and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll:
- St. Francis Hospital
- St. Joseph Medical Center
- St. Michael Medical Center
American Heart Association recognized the following VMFH hospitals with Get with the Guidelines® Gold Plus awards for their work in stroke care management:
- St. Anthony Hospital
- St. Anne Hospital
- St. Clare Hospital
- St. Francis Hospital
- St. Joseph Medical Center
- St. Michael Medical Center
- Virginia Mason Medical Center
Newsweek recognized St. Francis Hospital and St. Elizabeth Hospital as two of America's Best Maternity Hospitals 2023
Becker's Hospital Review named St. Francis Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital among their Great Community Hospitals list for 2023
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health continues to be recognized as a leader in patient safety by The Leapfrog Group with five hospitals earning ‘A’ safety grades in the 2023 Hospital Safety Grade Report:
- St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor – A
- St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way – A
- St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma – A
- St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale – A
- Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle – A

2022

Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle was named a Top Teaching Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group in recognition of their achievements in patient safety and quality.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health continues to be recognized as a leader in patient safety by The Leapfrog Group with six hospitals earning ‘A’ safety grades in the fall 2022 Hospital Safety Grade Report:
- St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor – A
- St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood – A
- St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way – A
- St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma– A
- St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale – A
- Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle – A
- St. Anne Hospital, Burien – B

2021

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals are ranked among the top in the nation for patient experience and patient safety by Healthgrades, the leading online service that connects patients and providers.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Medical Center in Seattle achieved the Healthgrades 2021 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is the only hospital in the Seattle region to receive the Outstanding Patient Experience Award for nine straight years (2013-2021)
St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor earned the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award. This distinction places the three hospitals among the top 10 percent of all short-term acute care facilities reporting patient safety data evaluated by Healthgrades

2020

Virginia Mason is named a 2020 Top Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for its achievements in care quality and patient safety
Virginia Mason maintains its straight-A status in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program
Virginia Mason is ranked among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for Gastrointestinal Care and General Surgery by Healthgrades
Virginia Mason receives the 2020 Digital Health Most Wired recognition from CHIME for its use of digital and information technology
Virginia Mason receives the 2020 Guardian of Excellence Award from Press Ganey Associates for Patient Experience
Virginia Mason receives the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for the eighth consecutive year, placing the medical center among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for patient experience
Virginia Mason receives an “A” for the 17th consecutive time in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program for preventing medical errors and other harms

2019

Virginia Mason receives the 2019 Guardian of Excellence Award for Patient Experience from Press Ganey Associates
Virginia Mason earns an “A” in the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade and is one of only 36 hospitals in the nation to have received the highest grade possible in every grading cycle since the Leapfrog program began in 2012
Virginia Mason receives the Most Wired award for the eighth straight year for using information technology to support and improve the delivery of care
Virginia Mason is designated as a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality in the 2019 Healthcare Equality Index
Virginia Mason receives another “A” for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group
For the seventh consecutive year, Virginia Mason receives the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades
Virginia Mason is ranked No. 44 among 226 hospitals in the United States included on the 2019 list of the World’s Best Hospitals compiled by Newsweek.com
Virginia Mason received the 2019 Seattle Business magazine Leaders in Health Care: Washington Health Alliance Community Checkup Award. The award was presented to medical centers that consistently rank in the top five of the annual Community Checkup Report