BANGOR — Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center has been recognized by US News & World Report in its 2026/2027 Best Hospitals rankings, highlighting the hospital’s commitment to clinical excellence, patient care, and community service.
Eastern Maine Medical Center received the following distinctions:
• High Performing Specialty Badge in Cardiology and Heart & Vascular Surgery
• Best Regional Hospital Badge, recognized in 11 types of care
• Best Regional Hospital for Community Access Medallion
• High Performing Procedures and Conditions Emblems for:
o Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
o Aortic Valve Surgery
o Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
o Heart Bypass Surgery
o Hip Fracture
o Pacemaker Implantation
o Heart Failure
o Heart Attack
o Kidney Failure
o Heart Arrhythmia
“These recognitions from US News & World Report reflect the skill, dedication, and compassion of our entire team of physicians, nurses, and support staff,” Ava Collins, MBA, FACHE, president, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, said. “Achieving high-performing status across multiple cardiac procedures and conditions, while also being honored for community access, underscores our mission to deliver exceptional care close to home for the people of Maine.”
US News & World Report evaluates hospitals across the nation on quality of care, patient outcomes, and other key metrics. High Performing ratings indicate a hospital is among the top performers in a specialty, procedure, or condition, while the Best Regional Hospital designation recognizes strong performance across multiple areas of care. The Community Access Medallion further highlights Eastern Maine Medical Center’s efforts to ensure equitable access to high-quality healthcare for all patients in the region.
This is the latest in a series of honors and recognitions Eastern Maine Medical Center has received in 2026. Earlier this year the hospital received a 5-star rating on Forbes’ 2026 Top Hospitals list (the only hospital in Maine to do so), and just this week learned the hospital has also made Forbes list of Top Hospitals by State. Additionally, Eastern Maine Medical Center earned a Five-Star Overall Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, being ranked as having the lowest heart attack readmission rate in the nation for the second year in a row by Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and was also recently honored nationally for its commitment to excellence in stroke care by the American Heart Association.
Find out more about the methodology used for the US News & World Report Best Hospitals list and Eastern Maine Medical Center’s specific rankings at https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/me/eastern-maine-medical-center-6110050.
Learn more about Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center at northernlighthealth.org/EMMC.