Harlingen Medical Center, Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, and Mission Regional Medical Center have each been named as a “Forbes Top Hospitals 2026” for high patient outcomes by the renowned national magazine.
This prestigious distinction places the three Prime Healthcare hospitals among the top hospitals in the country for advancing healthcare excellence and helping to ensure good clinical outcomes for their patients.
The recognition also highlights the Prime hospitals’ consistency across the Rio Grande Valley in protecting patients from preventable errors and complications.
In addition to the latest recognition from Forbes, all three Prime hospitals also received an “A” grade for patient safety in the fall of 2025 from The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent healthcare ratings organization.
In the Forbes rankings, Harlingen Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center received the highest ranking available as 5-star honorees, while Mission Regional Medical Center was recognized as a 4-star award winner.
Harlingen Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center were two of only four hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley — and two of only 14 hospitals in the state — to receive the overall 5-star recognition from Forbes.
Of the approximately 2,500 hospitals analyzed by Forbes, 253 earned an overall 5-star rating.
“We are honored to receive these awards for quality of care,” said Todd Mann, CEO of Harlingen Medical Center. “This latest recognition from Forbes reflects the dedication of our team and our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional care to the patients and communities we serve.”
Rene J. Lopez, MD, FACHE, RRT, CEO for Knapp Medical Center, said the hospital’s recognition is a testament to the work of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing “the highest-quality healthcare to residents of the Mid-Valley — every patient, every time.”
“Quality care matters,” added Kane Dawson, CEO of Mission Regional Medical Center. “By choosing our hospitals, you can ensure that you receive the high-quality outcomes you rightly deserve.”
Dr. Sunny Bhatia, President and Corporate Chief Medical Officer of Prime Healthcare, said, “To be recognized on Forbes’ inaugural Top Hospitals list is both an honor and a meaningful validation of Prime Healthcare’s physician-led model of delivering exceptional clinical care. These distinctions highlight the expertise, compassion, and commitment of our caregivers, who elevate standards of care in every community we serve. I am deeply proud of their dedication and inspired by what we are building together to strengthen community hospitals throughout the nation.”
In evaluating hospitals nationwide for the awards, Forbes assigned a star rating, from 1-star to 5-stars, across four categories to calculate a hospital’s overall score. According to Forbes’ website, this methodology placed the most weight on clinical outcomes (such as rates of mortality, survival, infection, and readmissions), so that patient outcomes have the most impact on each hospital’s overall rating.
For more information on the new “Forbes Top Hospitals 2026” awards, and to view a complete list of hospitals across the nation that received the top hospitals recognition, please visit forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals/.
For more information on award-winning patient care in the Valley, please visit HarlingenMedicalCenter.com, KnappMed.org, and MissionRMC.org.
