HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital earns A for hospital safety

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital earns A for hospital safety; recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals
for Orthopedic Surgery™
 
~HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital also recognized in several specialties including cardiac, vascular and gastrointestinal care~
 
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. – HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is honored to announce several national recognitions that underscore the hospital’s commitment to high-quality patient care.
 
HCA Florida Fort-Walton Destin Hospital was recently ranked among the top 100 hospitals in the nation for orthopedic surgery by Healthgrades, the No. 1 online resource Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. The hospital received the 2025 Healthgrades Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™, ranking it among the top 5% of hospitals in the nation for overall orthopedic services. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin also received the 2025 Healthgrades Surgical Care Excellence Award™ and was named among the top 10% of hospitals in the nation for surgical care. A full list of the 2025 Healthgrades awards in multiple specialties received by hospital is at the end of this news release.
 
Additionally, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital earned a grade of “A” this fall from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns letter grades to hospitals across the country based on more than 30 performance measures.
 
“Our hospital is a national leader in quality care because of our incredible team and their singular focus on providing exceptional, compassionate care for every patient,” said HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital chief medical officer, Dr. Dan Hagler. “It is an honor to be recognized by Healthgrades and The Leapfrog Group for our leadership in patient outcomes, patient safety and our commitment to serving our community.”
 
As part of its 2025 hospital assessment, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine the top performers in specialty care.
 
“Healthgrades commends HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital for its clear commitment to delivering consistently superior patient outcomes in critical service areas, including cardiac care, orthopedics, vascular and gastrointestinal care and overall surgical excellence,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “The leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to clinical excellence at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital sets a high mark for specialty care in Florida and nationwide.”
 
“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”
 
To learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality, consumers can visit healthgrades.com, A patient-friendly overview of why hospital quality matters is available here.
 
Healthgrades 2025 Clinical Achievements, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital:
 
Best Specialty

• One of Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™ for 4 Years in a Row (2022-2025)

 
Cardiac

• Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure in 2025

 
Orthopedics

• Recipient of the Healthgrades Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ for 5 Years in a Row (2021-2025)
• Named Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services for 4 Years in a Row (2022-2025)
• Named Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services for 5 Years in a Row (2021-2025)
• Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for 2 Years in a Row (2024-2025)
• Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for 6 Years in a Row (2020-2025)
• Five-Star Recipient for Spinal Fusion Surgery for 3 Years in a Row (2023-2025)

 
Vascular

• Five-Star Recipient for Carotid Surgery for 4 Years in a Row (2022-2025)

 
Gastrointestinal

• Five-Star Recipient for Gallbladder Removal Surgery for 5 Years in a Row (2021-2025)

 
Critical Care

• Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 5 Years in a Row (2021-2025)

 
Surgical Care

• Recipient of the 2025 Healthgrades Surgical Care Excellence Award™
• Named Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Surgical Care in2025

 
 
V/r,
 
Liz Eulberg
Director, Communications and Community Engagement
 
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital
1000 Mar Walt Drive, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
 
HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital
2190 FL-85 N, Niceville, FL 32578
 
O 850.315.1352  M 850.228.6223 
 
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