Delray Medical Center has been recognized by Healthgrades with 17 clinical achievements, including being named one of America’s Top 50 Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery. The hospital also received the 2026 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award, the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award for the second consecutive year, and the Critical Care Excellence Award for the second year in a row.
The full list of awards includes several five-star ratings: valve surgery, treatment of heart attack, coronary interventional procedures, treatment of heart failure (for 24 years in a row), defibrillator procedures, treatment of stroke (for 19 years), pulmonary care services, pneumonia treatment, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment, critical care services such as sepsis (23 years) and respiratory failure (4 years), carotid procedures, upper gastrointestinal surgeries (5 years), and gastrointestinal bleed treatment.
“Earning these prestigious accolades from Healthgrades is a reflection of our commitment to patient safety, outstanding outcomes, and the compassion that drives us every day,” said Heather Havericak, CEO of Delray Medical Center. “Placing us among the top 50 hospitals in the United States for Cardiac Surgery, and earning excellence awards in cardiac surgery, pulmonary care and critical care means we are going above and beyond every day for our patients.”
This year marks the first time Delray Medical Center earned a five-star rating for carotid procedures. The vascular program is led by Dr. Joseph Ricotta. According to Newsweek rankings cited by the hospital, Dr. Ricotta was recently named the #1 vascular surgeon in Florida and #2 nationally. He also serves as National Medical Director of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy for Tenet Healthcare, Professor of Surgery at Florida Atlantic University’s School of Medicine, and is founder of Prime Vascular Institute.
“I’ve practiced medicine at many prestigious academic hospitals, and the team here at Delray is the best team I have worked with,” Dr. Ricotta said. “Ultimately, this is about our patients and having the best possible outcomes so they can get back to doing what they love. By having a high-quality team, we are able to elevate the program to new heights and deliver the care our patients expect from us.”
Healthgrades evaluates risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates across more than 30 common conditions at about 4,500 hospitals each year to identify top performers in specialties like cardiac surgery or critical care. Its analysis found that if all hospitals performed similarly to five-star facilities during its most recent study period (2022-2024), approximately 230,466 lives could have been saved nationwide along with avoiding over 156,000 complications.
“Healthgrades’ specialty awards identify the nation’s top-performing hospitals in key service areas, helping consumers find high quality care tailored to their specific needs,” said Alana Biggers MD MPH of Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize Delray Medical Center for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas including cardiac surgery pulmonary care and critical care.”
Delray Medical Center is part of Palm Beach Health Network. It operates as a community hospital with state-designated Level I Trauma Center status serving southern Palm Beach County for over four decades. The facility has more than 1,700 employees on staff as well as specialized programs such as Pinecrest Rehabilitation—the only state-designated brain/spinal cord injury rehab program locally—and Fair Oaks Pavilion adult psychiatry unit.
For additional information on Healthgrades’ hospital evaluation process or methodology behind its specialty awards visit healthgrades.com or review their methodology page online.
