Best public hospitals in Brazil: the 2026 ranking

An unprecedented survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Health Social Organizations (Ibross) listed the 100 best public hospitals in Brazil. The initiative sought to identify public hospitals with excellent practices, considering criteria of management, quality of care, operational efficiency and impact on the health system.

The study was carried out in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Instituto Ética Saúde (IES), the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass) and the National Council of Municipal Health Secretariats (Conasems).

Beyond institutional recognition, this list works as an X-ray of the capacity of SUS, Brazil’s public health system, to deliver quality care even amid budget constraints, high demand for care and growing complexity.

In a later phase of the survey, the 10 best public hospitals in Brazil will be chosen and announced in May, during the Best Public Hospitals in Brazil Award, an event organized by IBROSS and PAHO.

In this article, learn which hospitals these are, where they are located and what the main strengths of these institutions are.

Where are the best public hospitals in Brazil?

The finalist hospitals are not evenly distributed, but they reveal established hubs of public hospital management. States with a longer tradition of more mature organizational models, especially those that use management contracts and structured governance, account for a large share of the recognized institutions.

São Paulo leads by a wide margin in the number of hospitals among the 100 selected. Goiás comes next, establishing itself as one of the main examples of modernized public hospital management in recent years.

States such as Pará, Santa Catarina, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro also stand out and show that excellence in SUS is not restricted to the Southeast.

The survey assessed hospitals under federal, state or municipal management that provide care entirely through SUS, that is, with no care at all through health plans.

Public hospitals shortlisted for the 2026 national award

The list of 100 selected public hospitals includes units with different profiles: general hospitals, maternity hospitals, university hospitals and institutions focused on oncology, pediatrics, emergency care and high complexity. This diversity is relevant because it shows that the assessment does not favor a single type of service, but rather the ability to deliver care value in different contexts.

Below is the list of the 100 best public hospitals in the country, organized in alphabetical order by state and city:

Finalist public hospitals – alphabetical order by state

What makes a hospital one of the best?

Being among the best public hospitals in Brazil is not just about the volume of care or the size of the institution. The recognition considers a set of factors that reflect quality of care, operational efficiency and management maturity.

The main elements assessed include the ability to monitor relevant clinical indicators, such as mortality and average length of stay, the organization of access to ICU beds, patient safety and the consistency of care processes. The existence of formal structures for governance, compliance and continuous performance assessment also carries weight.

Highly rated hospitals tend to have standardized processes, high-quality care records, integration between clinical and administrative areas and a more strategic use of data for decision-making. In other words, public excellence is directly linked to evidence-based management, even in environments with tight budget constraints.

What are the main challenges facing public hospitals?

Recognizing the best public hospitals does not eliminate the structural challenges of SUS. On the contrary: it shows how much excellence still depends on intense organizational effort and creative management solutions.

The main challenges include insufficient funding in the face of growing demand, difficulty retaining qualified professionals, fragmented information systems and the need to increase efficiency without compromising patient safety. Added to this are an aging population and the growth of chronic diseases, which put even more pressure on the hospital network.

Another critical point is the ability to turn care and administrative data into practical decisions. Many public hospitals produce large volumes of information but still struggle to analyze it in an integrated and timely way.

The Rivio view

The list of the best public hospitals in Brazil shows that excellence in SUS is possible when management, care and technology go hand in hand. Institutions that stand out tend to have greater control over their processes, indicators and use of resources.

Rivio believes that applying artificial intelligence to hospital management and the revenue cycle is one of the most promising ways to scale these good practices. By turning clinical and administrative data into decisions, technology allows public and private hospitals to increase efficiency, reduce waste and improve the quality of care.