ROCHESTER, Minn. — Oct. 27, 2026 (Minnesota Nice News)
The Mayo Clinic smart hospital crown is staying right here in Minnesota. Mayo Clinic in Rochester ranked No. 1 on Newsweek’s “World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2027” list, released Oct. 22, holding the top spot among 410 health care organizations in 33 countries, Mayo Clinic announced.
For a state that likes to keep its bragging quiet, that is a lot to be quiet about. Folks from lakes country who have made the drive to Rochester for an appointment already know the place runs like a well-oiled outboard. Now the rest of the world has it in writing.
What makes a smart hospital
Newsweek’s smart hospital ranking looks at how hospitals put artificial intelligence and other digital tools to work in patient care, KTTC reports. Think of it as a report card for how well a hospital uses data, computers and new technology to help doctors and nurses get answers faster.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester held on to the top position it earned last year. The ranking is separate from Newsweek’s main list of the world’s best hospitals, which Mayo has also topped.
All four Mayo hospitals land in the top 50
Minnesota’s flagship had good company on the list. Every Mayo hospital ranked in the global top 50, and each one climbed from last year, according to the Mayo Clinic announcement.
- Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota: No. 1
- Mayo Clinic in Arizona: No. 11
- Mayo Clinic in Florida: No. 21
- Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin: No. 46
All four were also recognized as Leaders in AI Innovation, Mayo said.
“The best answers often come when teams of experts use technology to bring different perspectives together,” Mayo Clinic President and CEO Gianrico Farrugia said in a statement. He said Mayo will keep advancing the work “to bring hope and healing to more patients.”
Eight years at the top of the world
The smart hospital honor stacks on top of a long winning streak. Earlier this year, Newsweek named Mayo Clinic the No. 1 hospital in the world for the eighth year in a row in its “World’s Best Hospitals 2026” ranking, according to Mayo. Mayo was also named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best Hospitals Honor Roll, FOX 9 reports.
Eight straight years is a run the Vikings would be glad to borrow.
A homegrown AI model for medicine
Mayo’s work with artificial intelligence picked up speed this year. In June, Mayo Clinic and Microsoft announced they are building a frontier AI model made specifically for health care, Mayo Clinic News Network reported.
The model pairs Mayo’s clinical knowledge and de-identified health data with Microsoft’s AI and cloud tools. The goal is to help care teams with complex decisions, support earlier diagnosis and shape more personalized treatment. Mayo Clinic will own the model. It will be tested and refined inside Mayo’s own clinics first, and Microsoft plans to make it available to health organizations around the world.
In plain Minnesota terms, the folks in Rochester are teaching a computer to think like a good doctor, then sharing it with the neighbors.
Rochester keeps building
The ranking comes while Mayo is in the middle of a major makeover of its Rochester campus. The Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester project is set to run until 2030, KIMT reports.
This year’s planned milestones included remodeled entrances at the Gonda and East Mayo buildings, a new North Arrival and Parking area for patients and visitors and new staff parking ramps on the Saint Marys and downtown campuses. That is a lot of orange cones, and every one of them is in service of a better visit.
Other Minnesota hospitals on the list
Newsweek recognized two more Minnesota hospitals. Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis ranked No. 74 and Cambridge Medical Center ranked No. 401, FOX 9 reports. [MORE INFO NEEDED: confirm both ranks on Newsweek’s 2027 smart hospital list; FOX 9 is the only source found]
Two more Minnesota names on a world list is a fine reminder that good care is spread across the state, from the Twin Cities to the small towns.
Why it matters up north
For families in Bemidji, Brainerd, Detroit Lakes and the rest of lakes country, Rochester can feel like a long haul. But many of the tools built and tested there end up shaping care across the country, including in the clinics closer to home.
When a Mayo Clinic smart hospital teaches the rest of the world how to use new technology well, everybody’s grandma benefits. That is about as Minnesota nice as medicine gets.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Sources
The ranking
Newswise (Mayo Clinic release), Mayo Clinic Named No. 1 Smart Hospital in the World the No. 1 ranking, the 410 organizations in 33 countries, the ranks of all four Mayo hospitals, the Leaders in AI Innovation recognition, the eighth straight No. 1 world ranking and the Farrugia quotes.
KTTC, Mayo Clinic named No. 1 smart hospital in the world that the list assesses hospitals’ use of AI and digital innovation.
FOX 9, Mayo Clinic earns world’s top smart hospital ranking for 2027 the U.S. News Honor Roll and the Abbott Northwestern and Cambridge Medical Center ranks.
AI and the Rochester campus
Mayo Clinic News Network, Mayo Clinic and Microsoft collaborate to develop a frontier AI model for healthcare the June AI model announcement, Mayo ownership and worldwide availability.
KIMT, Several milestones coming up in Rochester’s 2026 construction season the Bold. Forward. Unbound. timeline and the 2026 entrance and parking milestones.
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