(Atlantic, IA) — Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic, report in its debut, the Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 list ranks Cass Health as one of three hospitals in Iowa to earn an overall five-star rating. The new ranking out of nearly 5,400 general acute care hospitals eligible, only four- and five-star hospitals made the inaugural list; 253 earned a five-star rating and 509 received a four-star rating.

According to Forbes, “This unique rating system evaluates general acute care hospitals throughout the United States to offer consumers unbiased information on which hospitals can offer top-notch, high-value medical services, no matter where they are in the country … Central to the methodology is its emphasis on clinical patient outcomes (such as rates of mortality, survival, infection and readmissions). These measures were given the most weight and, therefore, had the most influence on each hospital’s overall rating.”

Cass Health received a five-star overall rating based on performance data related to patient outcomes, best practices, value, and patient experience. Hospital CEO Brett Altman says “It is an honor to be recognized by a prestigious institution like Forbes. Our vision is to be the best rural hospital in America, and the data shows our team is fully committed to that goal. We want to deliver the best possible outcomes for our friends, family, and neighbors here in southwest Iowa. While we aren’t perfect, we strive for perfection every day with every patient and hold ourselves accountable to delivering the best possible care with every encounter.”

To create the list, Forbes worked with a team of experts and data extracted from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider Data Catalog. Visit www.forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals to see the full list and additional information on each hospital.