Suburban Hospital on Old Georgetown Road landed on Healthgrades' list of America's 50 best hospitals for outpatient joint replacement, a distinction the Bethesda facility has now earned three years running.

Healthgrades, a website that rates doctors and hospitals, released its 2027 rankings Tuesday, Oct. 27. The company evaluated roughly 4,500 hospitals nationwide across 31 common procedures and conditions.

The outpatient joint replacement award is separate from Healthgrades' overall specialty care rankings. It recognizes hospitals with the best risk-adjusted complication rates among Medicare patients who had outpatient total knee or total hip replacement from 2023 through 2025, according to Becker's ASC Review. Complications counted include those during the outpatient visit and unplanned events up to one year after the procedure.

Suburban Hospital's Healthgrades profile lists the outpatient joint replacement honor for 2025, 2026 and 2027, citing superior clinical outcomes in outpatient total hip and total knee replacement. The hospital also earned 2027 Healthgrades awards for emergency hospitalization excellence and surgical care excellence.

Maryland placed four hospitals on the 50-best outpatient joint replacement list, according to Becker's. The others are Frederick Health Hospital, Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. California led all states with seven.

A shift toward same-day surgery

The recognition comes as joint replacement moves sharply away from overnight hospital stays. Healthgrades' analysis found outpatient hip replacement procedures increased 81% from 2020 to 2025, while inpatient hip replacements declined 75%. Outpatient knee replacements rose 71% over the same period, and inpatient knee procedures fell 70%.

Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, a medical advisor at Healthgrades, said in the company's press release that the awards help consumers "find high quality care tailored to their specific needs."

Healthgrades adjusts its comparisons for patient risk factors such as age and medical conditions. The rankings apply to Medicare patients only. The company noted the results should be considered alongside physician recommendations, insurance coverage and individual medical needs.

Suburban Hospital, at 8600 Old Georgetown Road, is one of 41 hospitals nationwide that have made the outpatient joint replacement top-50 list three consecutive years.