Peconic Bay Medical Center Earns Newsweek Best-In-State Hospital Honor for 2026

Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead has been named one of America's Best-In-State Hospitals for 2026 by Newsweek, placing the 144-bed nonprofit among roughly 800 facilities nationwide recognized for clinical excellence, patient experience and innovation in outcomes reporting. PBMC was one of only 10 Long Island hospitals to earn the distinction, seven of which are part of Northwell Health. Northwell had a dozen medical centers in all make the list.

The annual ranking, compiled in partnership with global data intelligence firm Statista, evaluated more than 6,000 hospitals nationwide using quality metrics, nationwide surveys of medical professionals, patient experience scores and other industry data.

"PBMC is a community hospital, and we take pride in helping to bring peace of mind to residents throughout Suffolk County to know they have access to one of the best hospitals in the country in their backyard," said Amy Loeb, EdD, MBA, RN, President of PBMC. "This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary dedication of our physicians, nurses and team members who work every day to deliver outstanding care close to home. For 75 years, PBMC has served as a cornerstone of healthcare in Eastern Suffolk County. As we look to the future, we are steadfast in our focus to continue expanding access to advanced services so our community never feels it must travel far or compromise its health for a suburban way of life."

Founded in 1951 as Central Suffolk Hospital, PBMC serves as the primary resource for more than 250,000 residents of the Riverhead area, eastern central Suffolk County and Long Island's North Fork. It is the only hospital in its service area with an interventional cardiac catheterization laboratory suite, and also holds designations as a Level III trauma center and a New York state-designated stroke center.

The Newsweek recognition is far from PBMC's only recent credential. Healthgrades awarded the hospital its 2026 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award and 2026 Pulmonary Care Excellence Award, and designated it a 5-Star Recipient for treatment of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, sepsis, gastrointestinal bleed, pancreatitis, COPD and pneumonia. The hospital has also been listed among the 100 best in the country for gastrointestinal care, earned an "A" safety rating from Leapfrog, and was recognized as high performing for hip and knee replacement by U.S. News and World Report's Best Hospitals 2025-26 edition. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association granted PBMC their Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite designation.

Two major facility expansions are underway or imminent. In April, PBMC is scheduled to open The Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch Neurosciences Center, which will expand neurological and stroke services on the East End. Construction is also progressing on the Emilie Roy Corey Center for Women and Infants, expected to open in summer 2027 to broaden maternal and newborn care in the region.

As the eastern hub of Northwell Health, the largest health care organization in New York state, PBMC draws on systemwide clinical expertise while maintaining a community-centered footprint that now spans more than 50 practice locations and 80-plus providers at multispecialty sites from Shirley and Manorville to Greenport and Southampton.