MIAMI , Aug 4: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System, has been ranked the No. 1 cancer program in Florida and No. 23 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Sylvester climbed 22 places from No. 45 last year, marking the most significant advance in the cancer center’s history.
“Our rise reflects years of commitment to building a truly comprehensive cancer center where scientific discovery and exceptional patient care advance hand in hand,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester. “Our multidisciplinary teams are uniquely positioned to bring the latest lifesaving therapies and innovative clinical trials to patients across our region. As a result, Sylvester has become a destination for patients seeking the most advanced care, particularly those facing complex or difficult-to-treat cancers.”
As the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Florida, Sylvester integrates scientific discovery, clinical research and patient care. Its academic Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program, the only program of its kind in South Florida, provides patients, including those with complex or difficult-to-treat cancers, access to new therapies at the earliest stages of development, potentially up to a decade before they become widely available as standard treatments.
The opening of the 12-story Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building in 2025 doubled Sylvester’s research space and brought researchers, clinicians and data experts together to accelerate translational research and improve patient outcomes.
Sylvester’s comprehensive approach extends beyond the laboratory and clinic into communities throughout South Florida and beyond. Its initiatives include the Game Changer mobile program, which brings cancer screening, education and research opportunities into medically underserved communities; a nationally recognized firefighter cancer initiative focused on research, prevention, screening and advocacy; and an NCI-funded effort to strengthen survivorship care through community health centers. Sylvester also is advancing lifestyle medicine and research on HPV-associated cancers, using data-driven tools and multidisciplinary science to improve cancer prevention, treatment and long-term health.
Overall, UHealth achieved its strongest performance to date, with four other programs, including ophthalmology, neurology/neurosurgery, geriatrics, and cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, earning national ranking and 17 procedures and conditions earning high-performing designation.
For the 25th year, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the nation’s No. 1 Ophthalmology program. Bascom Palmer’s multidisciplinary research program spans basic science, clinical innovation and partnerships that continue to shape the future of ophthalmology. The No. 1 ranking represents one of the longest-running streaks of excellence in American medicine and reflects a quarter century of leadership in vision care, scientific innovation and education.
Also earning national ranking is UHealth’s Neurology/neurosurgery program – No. 14 in the nation. The division has more than 70 renowned research and clinical faculty in most of the neurological sub-specialties. UHealth has one of the only neuropsychology programs in South Florida.
In addition, five other specialties received a high-performing ranking, placing them in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide: Urology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Orthopedics and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery.
Collectively, the rankings underscore a health system with the breadth and depth to support people with serious illnesses, from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and long-term management.
“We are proud of what these results say about our progress, but our focus remains on what comes next,” said Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief executive officer of UHealth. “We will continue investing in people, innovation and specialized care so that more people can benefit from the highest level of treatment.”