Wilmington Hospital Ranked Third in 2026 Pediatric Care
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center earned a top-tier national quality rating for pediatric services.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Children’s Health
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Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington ranked third among 89 pediatric hospitals in the 2026 Vizient quality cohort. The hospital was honored with the Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award for excellence in quality and patient safety.
Why it matters
This national recognition highlights the high standards of pediatric care provided by the Wilmington medical center compared to dozens of other hospitals. The evaluation process helps families identify institutions that prioritize effective patient safety outcomes and medical quality.
The hospital achieved a third-place ranking out of 89 pediatric hospitals evaluated in the 2026 Vizient quality cohort. Rankings were determined using data from the Vizient Clinical Data Base, HCAHPS surveys, and the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network.
The players
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
This Wilmington-based medical center provides comprehensive regional healthcare services, including specialized pediatric and neonatal care.
Vizient
This healthcare performance improvement company manages an extensive clinical database used to evaluate and rank hospitals on quality and patient safety.
The details
The facility provides a range of specialized pediatric services, including Level 3 neonatal intensive care and surgical options such as thoracic, maxillofacial, cleft, craniofacial, and urology procedures. The hospital built upon its success from the 2025 award cycle to secure its current standing in this year's assessment.
Timeline
The data collection for the 2026 awards occurred from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
The hospital also received recognition during the 2025 award cycle.
Health Landscape
The hospital's participation in the Vizient Quality Leadership Award cohort underscores the shift toward standardized hospital performance benchmarking. This placement reflects a high achievement within the rigorous quality and safety criteria established by the industry-wide assessment.
Families in the Wilmington area can utilize this ranking as an indicator of the safety and quality standards maintained at the facility. This recognition provides assurance that the hospital's specialized units, such as the Level 3 neonatal intensive care, meet rigorous national benchmarks.
The takeaway
Maintaining top-tier rankings in clinical cohorts demonstrates a consistent commitment to high-level patient safety protocols. Families should look for such independent quality awards when evaluating local hospital options for specialized pediatric procedures.
Further reading
For more information on regional pediatric care standards, visit Children’s Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWAYTV3.
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