by Liz Torrey

The VCU Health Pauley Heart Center has been named the top heart hospital in Virginia for the fourth consecutive year – placing Pauley in the top 10% of all heart centers in the nation – in the 2025-2026 US News & World Report “Best Hospitals” survey.

Pauley also received national high-performing recognition for its treatment of heart arrhythmia, heart attack, and heart failure; for procedures to implant pacemakers; and for heart bypass surgery. To receive high-performing designation in a specialty from US New and World Report, a hospital must excel in caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients. 

“I’m so proud that the Pauley Heart Center has been recognized as the best heart hospital in the commonwealth for the fourth consecutive year,” said Pauley Heart Center director Greg Hundley, MD. “This is a tremendous honor and a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire team. This recognition reflects not only our clinical excellence, but our deep commitment to our patients and their families, and our mission to improve cardiovascular care for all.”

To compile their rankings, US News evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. VCU Health itself was ranked the number one hospital in Richmond for the 15th consecutive year, as well as the number two hospital in Virginia. In the cardiology and heart & vascular surgery specialty, the publication evaluated hospitals on their treatment of heart and vascular cases, including heart transplants, major chest procedures, and patients with heart disease and other complex conditions. Although US News does not grant numeric ranks higher than 50, Pauley’s overall score places it at #51 nationally in this year’s cardiology, heart and vascular surgery rankings.

Pauley received the highest possible score in the areas of:

• 30-day survival - Rates of survival for patients 30 days after being admitted
• Advanced technologies – Level of provider and patient access to the latest cardiovascular treatments
• Discharging patients to home - How often patients go directly home from Pauley rather than being discharged to another facility
• Patient services – Quality of patient services, such as programs for cardiac rehabilitation

This July, the Pauley Heart Center also received a Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiac Data Registry (NCDR) Chest Pain – Myocardial Infarction (MI) Registry. The award recognizes Pauley’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. VCU Health is one of only 323 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor – the highest available from the ACC in this category.

The NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry is one of several cardiovascular care registries administered by the ACC, all of which generate and deliver actionable knowledge to practitioners that advances quality, equity, and value of cardiovascular care. The NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

To receive the NCDR’s Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, VCU Health has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain - MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and performed at the highest level in specific performance measures.

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Headquartered in Richmond with outpatient centers throughout central and southeast Virginia, Pauley’s services include inpatient and outpatient care ranging from noninvasive cardiology to heart transplantation. Pauley has an active cardiovascular disease research program that furthers knowledge of treatments and cures of heart disease. As part of VCU Health’s academic medical center, Pauley team members are also training the next generation of cardiologists.