Sanford, Oviedo hospitals earn Healthgrades patient safety award
Lake Monroe and Oviedo joined a 438-hospital safety list, giving Seminole County families a national yardstick for care close to home.
Two Seminole County hospitals now carry a national patient-safety distinction that can matter the next time a family in Sanford or Oviedo is choosing where to go for an ER visit, surgery, or a high-risk procedure. HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital and Oviedo Medical Center received Healthgrades’ 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award, a ranking reserved for hospitals in the top 10 percent nationwide for patient safety.
Healthgrades said the award is based on hospital patient-safety indicators that measure serious, potentially preventable complications and adverse events, including 13 patient-safety events used in the analysis. The 2026 list included 438 hospitals in 40 states, and Healthgrades said 100,819 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024 if all hospitals had performed at the level of the winners. The announcement came March 10 during Patient Safety Awareness Week, observed March 8-14. HCA Florida Healthcare said 36 of its hospitals received the award this year.
For Sanford families, Lake Monroe’s recognition adds to its role as a full-service hospital with a 24/7 emergency room, a Level II Trauma Center and a DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center. Those services make safety recognition especially relevant for patients facing urgent care decisions close to home, where travel time and hospital readiness can both shape outcomes.
In eastern Seminole County, Oviedo Medical Center’s sixth straight year on the list suggests a longer pattern of performance rather than a one-time boost. The hospital’s other recognition includes Joint Commission accreditation, Leapfrog Group Straight A’s since 2023 and Healthgrades five-star ratings for sepsis treatment, total hip replacement and hip fracture treatment. Together, those marks show a hospital trying to build a broader record of measured quality, not just a single award shelf.
For local families, the award should be one part of the comparison, not the whole decision. Patient-safety rankings can help patients judge whether a hospital is measuring up against national standards, but they do not replace questions about distance, specialty services, insurance coverage or which facility is best suited for a particular emergency. In a county as large and spread out as Seminole, having recognized safety performers in both Sanford and Oviedo gives residents a practical place to start when care cannot wait.
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