By Kim Van Sickel 

VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital was ranked among the nation’s Top Hospitals of 2026 in Forbes magazine’s inaugural list.  

“As part of VCU Health System, people in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck are able to receive innovative care, close to home,” said Josh Hammond, president of VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital. “From world-class orthopedic surgery to care from a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, our patients are receiving the gold-standard of care at their doorstep and when they need it most.” 

Tappahannock Hospital is an extension of the work and research done on VCU Health’s academic medical campus in downtown Richmond. The added advantage being that Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula residents don’t have to travel far to receive the high-quality care, such as access to orthopedic surgery, general surgery, gastroenterology, oncology, cardiology and virtual services from many of the multi-disciplinary specialty centers at VCU Medical Center. 

“This ranking is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our physicians, advanced practice providers, employees and community partners,” Hammond said. “They bring hope, compassion and service excellence to the people of our community, 365 days a year.” 

This is the second ranking by Forbes for VCU Health this year. VCU Health was recently recognized as one of America’s Best-In-State employers for the seventh year in a row.  

These rankings were calculated based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as an advisory panel that included clinicians, scientists, health policy researchers and patient advocates. Roughly 5,400 general acute care hospitals were considered for this designation, which provided a five-star scale. Approximately 1,300 hospitals assigned three stars and above were included on the list. 

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