WakeMed Named One of Nation's Top 75 Pediatric Hospitals by Money

WakeMed Health & Hospitals earned a spot on Money magazine's 2026 list of Best Hospitals for Pediatric Care, placing the Raleigh-based health system among 75 facilities nationwide that scored highest across a slate of quality, staffing, and transparency metrics. The designation, announced April 6, makes WakeMed one of only three hospitals in North Carolina to appear on the list.

The recognition centers on WakeMed Children's Hospital, which holds a distinction that carries real weight for Triangle families: it is the only pediatric inpatient provider in Wake County. The hospital operates a dedicated Children's Emergency Department alongside a neonatal intensive care unit, advanced pediatric surgical services, and pediatric rehabilitation programs. That breadth of on-site specialty care means parents in Raleigh, Cary, and surrounding communities can access high-acuity pediatric treatment without leaving the county.

Money compiled its 2026 list by reviewing thousands of hospitals nationwide, ultimately selecting 75 that earned either four- or five-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and maintain designated pediatric facilities staffed by specialists. The methodology also factored in price transparency scores, collective pediatric expertise, and broader quality-of-care measures.

The scale of WakeMed's pediatric operation helps explain the ranking. The system cares for nearly 160,000 babies and children each year across a 973-bed network that includes multiple emergency departments, trauma centers, and specialty programs throughout the Triangle. That patient volume is supported by more than 12,500 employees and 1,300 affiliated physicians system-wide. In announcing the award, WakeMed credited the "expertise and compassion" of its pediatric clinicians, nurses, therapists, and child life specialists as central to delivering care that met Money's standards.

For health system planners and county officials, a national ranking of this kind carries practical value beyond the headline. Positions on widely circulated lists can strengthen arguments for expanded pediatric capacity, support reimbursement negotiations with insurers, and factor into grant applications. As the Triangle continues to grow and demand for specialty pediatric services rises, WakeMed's profile on lists like this one also informs regional emergency planning and pediatric surge capacity assessments.

For parents making decisions about where to take a seriously ill child, the ranking offers evidence that complex care, from surgical intervention to NICU stays, is available close to home.