Nationally recognized as a leader in quality healthcare
This section lists the numerous awards and accreditations Mercy has received for demonstrating how we provide outstanding care to our patients.
Mercy is accredited by DNV, reflecting our commitment to the highest standards of patient safety, quality care and continuous improvement. This prestigious accreditation demonstrates that we meet or exceed national standards and are dedicated to delivering exceptional healthcare to our community.
DNV’s hospital accreditation program is based on standards set by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), combined with the internationally recognized ISO 9001 quality management system. This unique approach helps healthcare organizations focus on continuous improvement, patient safety and high-quality care. DNV is widely respected for its rigorous, practical and improvement-oriented approach to accreditation.
Mercy has been nationally recognized for superior performance in outpatient orthopedic and joint replacement surgery, earning distinction as one of Healthgrades® America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence™ and America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Joint Replacement™ for 2026.
This recognition places Mercy among the nation’s leading hospitals for quality outcomes in key areas of outpatient orthopedic care. Healthgrades based its analysis on patient outcomes data – including clinical excellence, patient safety and experience – evaluating procedures such as knee and hip replacement, as well as back and neck surgery.
Only hospitals that consistently achieve better-than-expected outcomes across multiple years earn recognition in their specialty areas. According to Healthgrades’ analysis, patients treated at recognized hospitals had measurably better outcomes for these outpatient procedures compared to those treated at non-recognized facilities.
Mercy Medical Center has been named to the PINC AI™ 100 Top Hospitals® list multiple times in the last 20 years.
Premier Inc.'s PINC AI identified the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of 2,644 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals in the U.S. The annual list recognizes excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. It was established to help identify best practices that may help other healthcare organizations achieve consistent, balanced and sustainable high performance.
Carechex Awards by Quantros has recognized Mercy for Medical Excellence and Patient Safety multiple times in the last decade. Most recently, Mercy has been recognized by CareChex® in 10 categories for Medical Excellence and nine for Patient Safety.
CareChex Awards are considered to be one of the most reliable quality performance awards. Unlike other publicly available awards, CareChex Awards include no self-reported data. These data-driven awards are based on a proprietary scoring system utilizing the most reliable quality indicators available.
Mercy was named one of the nation’s top-performing hospitals by Fortune and IBM Watson Health multiple times, including in 2023. The annual Fortune/IBM 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study recognizes leading hospitals that treat a broad range of cardiology patients.
The Top 50 selected hospitals are listed in three categories: teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residencies, which is Mercy’s designation; teaching hospitals without such residencies; and community hospitals. Mercy is the only hospital in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor to make the Top 50 list. Read more.
U.S. News & World Report has once again recognized Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids as a High-Performing Hospital for Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) in its 2025 rankings. This distinction represents the highest recognition in U.S. News’ annual evaluation of maternity care, reinforcing Mercy’s commitment to delivering exceptional care to its patient families. Read more.
Accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). As the first hospital in the area accredited by the ACoS in 1990, Mercy was re-accredited again in 2024, having received a Three-Year Approval with Commendation.
Approval by the CoC is achieved by only those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of cancer care and undergo a rigorous evaluation process.
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. As an ACoS-accredited site, Mercy ensures that a patient will have access to the latest advancements and coordinated system of cancer care.
The open heart program at the Jewel & Jim Plumb Heart Center at Mercy Cedar Rapids has earned the distinguished, three-star rating in overall performance from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) multiple times for its patient care and outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This distinction reflects exemplary results in the following areas: absence of major mortality and morbidity; use of internal mammary artery harvest; and receipt of required perioperative medications. Mercy has received this recognition three times. Less than 10 percent of open heart programs in the U.S. earn this STS three-star distinction. Learn more.
Mercy Bariatric Surgery Clinic has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), an affiliate of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Mercy is the only Cedar Rapids hospital to achieve this accreditation and one of only nine in Iowa.
The accreditation means that patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality. Learn more.
The Endoscopy Unit at Mercy Medical Center has been awarded a three-year renewal recognition for quality and safety by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).
The recognition is part of ASGE’s Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program, which promotes the highest standards in patient care and safety. Mercy is one of only a select number of hospitals nationwide to receive this distinction since the program began in 2009. Read more.
Mercy Medical Center has been recognized by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) as a “Premier Performer” for achieving an overall patient satisfaction score that ranked in the top 5% of all eligible SHP clients for the 2024 calendar year.
The annual SHPBest™ award program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high-quality service to their patients.
Mercy's Women's Center has been named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for mammography, breast ultrasound, ultrasound-guided biopsy, and stereotactic biopsy. This designation is awarded to breast imaging centers that achieve excellence by seeking and earning accreditation in all of the ACR's voluntary breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program.
Mercy Medical Center is pleased to announce that its Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) was awarded another Three-Year Term of Accreditation from CARF International as an Adult Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation Program and Hospital Stroke Specialty Program in 2023. CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body that promotes quality, value, and optimal outcomes through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement that centers on enhancing the lives of patients.
100 Great Iowa Nurses awards outstanding nurses throughout Iowa whose courage, competence and commitment to patients and the nursing profession stands out above all others. Mercy is proud to have had nearly 100 nurses recognized for this award since 2005, including five in 2025.
As a College of American Pathologists Accredited site, Mercy has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to its laboratory management by improving patient care, strengthening the deployment of quality standards and reducing errors and risk control costs.