Top 15 Best Healthcare Companies to Work For in 2026, According to Forbes

Healthcare organizations have been operating in a tight labor environment, shaped in part by demographic change and ongoing workforce shortages. However, many providers are advancing clinical programs, research initiatives, education efforts and care delivery models that shape day-to-day work across the sector. 

In 2025, several large health systems and academic medical centers received recognition tied to workplace-related initiatives, leadership and organizational performance, reflecting sustained attention on employee experience across the sector.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, healthcare occupations are expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2034, with about 1.9 million openings projected each year due to growth and worker replacement.

In our blog, we take a closer look at the top 15 healthcare organizations appearing on Forbes’ “America’s Best Large Employers 2026”. The ranking is based on survey feedback from more than 217,000 US employees and compiled in partnership with Statista.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Rank 2)

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a pediatric research and treatment institution headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, focused on childhood cancer and other serious pediatric diseases. In recent studies, St. Jude published a study in The Lancet Microbe evaluating plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing as a method to detect bloodstream infections in children with high-risk leukemia before symptoms appeared. The study analyzed daily plasma samples from pediatric patients and assessed the detection of infection-causing pathogens ahead of standard blood cultures.

Hoag (Rank 9)

Hoag is a nonprofit health system serving communities across Southern California through hospitals, urgent care centers and outpatient facilities. Hoag was named the world’s first Center of Excellence in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation in February 2026. Hoag also operates an oncoplastic breast surgery fellowship. Within its outpatient network, Hoag opened a health center in San Clemente offering primary care, urgent care, women’s health, orthopedic and imaging services.

Houston Methodist (Rank 10)

Houston Methodist is a multi-hospital health system operating in the greater Houston area, with academic affiliations and research programs. Across its hospital network, the system reported an enterprise-wide rollout of Ambience Healthcare’s ambient AI documentation platform in February 2026. The deployment spans ambulatory, emergency and inpatient settings and includes use across multiple specialties, including emergency and hospital medicine.

MD Anderson Cancer Center (Rank 16)

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a comprehensive cancer center located in Houston, Texas, focused on cancer treatment, research and education. In January 2026, MD Anderson reported a collaboration with SOPHiA GENETICS to co-develop AI-enabled genomic analytics tools and a next-generation sequencing oncology test. The work also includes joint research and development programs involving genomic and RNA-sequencing data.

St. Luke’s University Health Network (Rank 26)

St. Luke’s University Health Network is a regional health system serving communities across Pennsylvania, with hospitals, outpatient facilities and academic programs. The organization announced the launch of St. Luke’s College of Health Sciences, which is scheduled to welcome its first class in May 2026. The institution will offer degree and certificate programs, including nursing and allied health pathways delivered on campus and online.

Community Health Network (Rank 29)

Community Health Network is a nonprofit health system operating hospitals and outpatient facilities across Indiana. The system has recently partnered with Nourish, a virtual dietitian network, to integrate in-network metabolic health and nutrition services into existing clinical workflows. The integration spans specialties including primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology and women’s health.

Cedars-Sinai Health System (Rank 32)

Cedars-Sinai Health System operates an academic medical center and affiliated facilities in Los Angeles, California. Cedars-Sinai reported plans to deploy Regard’s AI-enabled documentation platform for hospitalists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. The platform analyzes electronic medical record data and generates draft clinical documentation prior to patient encounters.

Mayo Clinic Health System (Rank 34)

Mayo Clinic Health System provides healthcare services across multiple states as part of the broader Mayo Clinic enterprise. Through the Mayo Clinic Platform, the organization planned a data collaboration with Mercy that allows analysis of de-identified clinical data from both health systems. The dataset includes information from more than 15 million patients, spanning laboratory results, medical imaging, pathology reports and clinical notes.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Rank 35)

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a pediatric academic medical center based in Columbus, Ohio, with clinical care, research and education programs. Late last year, researchers at Nationwide Children’s were awarded $16 million in funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to lead a multi-state study on adolescent suicide prevention in schools. The five-year BRITE trial will compare evidence-based prevention programs across 80 schools in Ohio, Idaho, Washington and North Carolina.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Rank 38)

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a pediatric academic medical center affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers at CHOP and Penn Medicine developed a CRISPR-based research platform that allows large-scale genetic screening to be performed directly on patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia cells, rather than on established cell lines. The platform was described in findings published in Molecular Cell in February 2026.

Cook Children’s Health Care System (Rank 41)

Cook Children’s Health Care System is a pediatric-focused health system serving children and families across North Texas. In the 2025 to 2026 school year, the system partnered with Celina Independent School District to provide school-based pediatric health services. The model includes access to virtual pediatric visits and in-school evaluation for common childhood illnesses.

Covenant Health (Rank 43)

Covenant Health is a regional health system serving communities across East Tennessee through hospitals and outpatient services. Last year, Covenant Health partnered with Lincoln Memorial University to relocate regional emergency medical services (EMS) operations to an LMU facility in Cumberland Gap. The partnership includes EMS training, shadowing and hands-on learning opportunities for LMU students in nursing, pre-medicine, paramedic and health sciences programs.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Rank 45)

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a pediatric health system providing clinical care, research and education across the Atlanta metropolitan area. Through the Marcus Autism Center, the system received a $21.9 million grant in February 2026 to conduct a large-scale clinical study of profound autism. The study will enroll 7,500 children and is being conducted with Emory University School of Medicine and other academic partners.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (Rank 46)

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a large academic health system affiliated with Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine. The hospital recently received a $20 million philanthropic gift to establish a coordinated women’s health initiative focused on lifelong care, including perimenopause and menopause. The hospital was among five New York-based companies mentioned on Forbes’ list. 

Cincinnati Children’s (Rank 55)

Cincinnati Children’s is a pediatric academic medical center providing clinical care, research and education in partnership with the University of Cincinnati. Through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science & Training, Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati received a seven-year, $37.2 million federal grant renewal in 2026. The center supports research training and translational science programs for investigators and trainees across the region.

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