in good hands

3 San Antonio hospitals named best in Texas by U.S. News

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak in San Antonio

Methodist Hospital and Methodist Hospital Stone Oak were named the best hospitals in San Antonio.

Photo courtesy of Methodist Hospital Stone Oak

Methodist Hospital and two more San Antonio medical centers have earned bragging rights in U.S. News & World Report's newly released rankings of the Best Hospitals for 2026-2027.

Every year, U.S. News evaluates nearly 4,500 U.S. hospitals to determine which meet the publication's rigorous standards and offer the best care for patients across 14 adult specialties and 23 procedures and conditions. New to this year's batch of rankings, U.S. News introduced regional rankings in cancer; cardiology; heart and vascular surgery; orthopedics; and rehabilitation.

Methodist Hospital San Antonio ranked as the No. 1 best local hospital, and it ranked as the No. 12 best hospital in Texas.

The hospital also earned high-performing distinctions in one specialty and 13 procedures and conditions:

Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery
Gynecological Cancer Surgery
Heart Arrhythmia
Heart Attack
Heart Bypass Surgery
Heart Failure
Hip Fracture
Kidney Failure
Knee Replacement
Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma
Lung Cancer Surgery
Maternity Care
Pacemaker Implantation
Rehabilitation (specialty)
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

"This recognition reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and care teams, who combine clinical expertise, innovation and compassion to deliver outstanding care every day," said Methodist Healthcare's chief medical officer Dr. Parikshet Babber in a press release. "Our commitment to continually improving quality, embracing new approaches to care and putting patients at the center of every decision is reflected in the outcomes recognized by U.S. News. We're honored to earn this distinction on behalf of the patients and communities we are privileged to serve."

San Antonio's Baptist Medical Center is the second-best hospital in the city for 2026-2027, and it tied with eight other Texas institutions as the No. 21 best hospital statewide. Baptist Medical Center earned high-performing distinctions in eight procedures and conditions: Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion); Hip Fracture; Hip Replacement; Knee Replacement; Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma; Lung Cancer Surgery; Prostate Cancer Surgery; and Stroke.

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak ranked No. 3 in San Antonio and No. 30 statewide, tying with five other hospitals elsewhere in Texas. One specialty (Rehabilitation) and eight procedures and conditions earned high-performing distinctions: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion); Colon Cancer Surgery; Heart Arrhythmia; Heart Failure; Hip Fracture; Kidney Failure; and Maternity Care.

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LABOR PAINS

New study ranks Texas among worst states to have a baby

Photo by Bruno Curly/ Pexels

The best places to have a baby are in the Midwest and the Northeast, not the South, according to the report.

Texas might be a family friendly state, but it certainly isn't baby friendly, according to a new WalletHub study.

Texas earned a dismal rank as No. 45 in WalletHub's 2026 report "Best and Worst States to Have a Baby," which compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 31 "baby friendliness" metrics, such as affordability, health care accessibility, infant care costs, and others.

The top five best states to have a baby, in order, are: Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

Texas ranked 7th worst overall in the U.S. because of how expensive it is to have a child in the state, and because of its low prevalence of healthcare professionals for mothers and children relative to other states.

Across the four main categories in the report, Texas landed 47th nationally for its medical costs, 42nd in healthcare quality, and its baby- and family-friendliness both ranked 34th best in the country.

WalletHub says the average cost for a conventional delivery in the U.S. comes out to more than $15,700, and families with health insurance have an average out-of-pocket cost of about $2,600. The report doesn't break down state-by-state charges. Still, it ranked Texas 35th and 36th, respectively, in the national comparisons of states with the lowest costs for hospital cesarean and conventional deliveries.

The cost of childcare is another factor bringing down the state's overall performance, as WalletHub says Texas has the 23rd "best" annual cost of early childcare on average.

Here's how the report broke down the rest of Texas' ranking:

No. 27 – Parental leave policy score
No. 27 – Infant mortality rate
No. 28 – Rate of low-birth weight
No. 44 – Midwives and OB-GYNs per capita
No. 36 – Pediatricians and family medicine physicians per capita
No. 33 – Childcare centers per capita

According to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, expecting families should consider living in the states that "minimize costs while providing top-notch care for both newborns and their mothers."

"[The best states] also continue to be good environments for parents even long after the birth, with high-quality pediatric care, affordable and accessible child care, and a strong economic environment that makes providing for a child easier,” Lupo said.

Mississippi (No. 51), Alabama (No. 50), Florida (No. 49), New Mexico (No. 48), Nevada (No. 47), and South Carolina (No. 46) all join Texas at the bottom of the list as the worst states to have a baby.

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