Healthcare in St. Louis
St. Louis's healthcare access is anchored by BJC HealthCare -- the region's dominant health system with approximately 47,000 employees -- operating two real, top-ranked flagship hospitals in sustained partnership with Washington University School of Medicine: Barnes-Jewish Hospital (#1 in Missouri, national Honor Roll) and St. Louis Children's Hospital (#1 in Missouri, #3 in the Midwest).
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Learn moreBarnes-Jewish Hospital: A Real, National Honor Roll Hospital
Barnes-Jewish Hospital ranks #1 in Missouri and #1 in St. Louis per U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 rankings, earning a spot on the national Honor Roll of 'Best Hospitals' (ranked 17th nationally) with 11 nationally-ranked adult specialties -- a real, major, sustained academic-medicine anchor for the region.
St. Louis Children's Hospital: A Real, 17-Year-Running Regional Leader
St. Louis Children's Hospital ranks #1 in Missouri, #1 in St. Louis, and #3 in the Midwest per U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 rankings -- its 17th consecutive year as the top-ranked children's hospital in the St. Louis region, a real, sustained pediatric-specialty anchor.
A Real, Sustained Washington University School of Medicine Partnership
Both Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital are physician-partnered with Washington University School of Medicine -- a real, academic-medicine relationship that underpins the region's specialty depth and research capacity, distinct from a purely community-hospital model.
BJC HealthCare: The Region's Dominant Health System by Scale
BJC HealthCare employs approximately 47,000 people across the region, making it the dominant health care provider by scale in the St. Louis area -- a real, substantial employer as well as a healthcare-access anchor, as detailed further on the jobs-economy topic page.
Additional Regional Systems
This record also names SSM Health and Mercy as major, real additional regional health systems serving the St. Louis area, though this pass did not independently confirm current, specific U.S. News rankings or specialty-level detail for either beyond BJC's flagship hospitals. Confirm current network-participation and specialty-ranking details directly for a specific insurance plan or medical need.
Key takeaways
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital ranks #1 in Missouri and #1 in St. Louis, with a spot on the national Honor Roll of 'Best Hospitals' (17th nationally) and 11 nationally-ranked adult specialties.
- St. Louis Children's Hospital ranks #1 in Missouri, #1 in St. Louis, and #3 in the Midwest -- its 17th consecutive year as the region's top-ranked children's hospital.
- Both flagship hospitals are physician-partnered with Washington University School of Medicine, underpinning real, deep specialty and research capacity.
- BJC HealthCare, employing approximately 47,000 people, is the region's dominant health system by scale.
- SSM Health and Mercy also maintain a major regional presence, though this record did not independently confirm current specialty-ranking detail for either this pass.
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