It was a tie for 19th place, but Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital will happily take its latest ranking from U.S. News Best Hospitals in Florida list. The Vero hospital was ranked 27th in the state last year so it has moved up significantly. 

“The entire team at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital has been working diligently to provide high-quality care to the community we serve,” said Dr Greg Rosencrance, the hospital’s president, who called the ranking “an honor.”

“It is truly a confirmation of all the effort and focus by our caregivers to provide ‘patients first’ care.”

Cleveland Clinic’s flagship hospital in Cleveland ranked second best in the nation, up from fourth best last year. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. took the top spot for the fifth year with Johns Hopkins in Baltimore remaining in third place.

The Florida rankings, from information that predates the COVID-19 pandemic, put Indian River alongside Boca Raton Regional Hospital, a well-regarded, formerly independent hospital taken over by Baptist Health a year ago.

Cleveland Clinic Martin Health’s three hospitals ranked 28th in the state.

There are 215 hospitals in Florida, according to American Hospital Directory.

Indian River was ranked high-performing in four conditions or procedures, adding colon cancer surgery to last year’s high-performing rating in heart failure, COPD and hip replacement.

Martin and Indian River did not do as well on patient experience surveys, earning only two stars out of five. But competing hospitals – Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce and Steward’s Sebastian River Medical Center – earned only one star, and neither was ranked in the top 41 statewide identified by U.S. News.

Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville was ranked best hospital in Florida again, followed by UF Health Shands in Gainesville, Adventhealth in Orlando and Tampa General. Cleveland Clinic Weston tied for fifth place with Baptist Hospital of Miami.

Weston ranked high-performing in three specialties – nephrology, pulmonology and neurology – as well as nine procedures.

Another rating aimed at consumers is Medicare’s Hospital Compare. In the July refresh, Cleveland Clinic Indian River scored three stars out of five. Sebastian River scored two stars, while Lawnwood scored one star. Palm Bay Hospital in southern Brevard County scored four stars.