Here's how these Houston health care institutions ranked compared to the rest of the country. Photo by Dwight C. Andrews/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

It’s a three-peat for Houston Methodist Hospital.

For the third in a row, Healthgrades has named Houston Methodist the best hospital in Texas and one of the 50 best hospitals in the country. It’s the only Texas hospital in the top 50. Houston Methodist, a 907-bed facility at the Texas Medical Center, earned the same recognition in 2020 and 2021.

Four other hospitals in the Houston area made Healthgrades’ list of the top 250 hospitals in the U.S.:

  • Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
  • Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital
  • Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
  • Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center

Four Houston hospitals also excelled in several of Healthgrades’ specialty categories:

  • Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, No. 3 in the state for heart surgery.
  • Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center, No. 1 in the state for stroke care and No. 2 for coronary intervention.
  • Houston Methodist Hospital, No. 2 in the state for critical care and No. 2 for pulmonary care.
  • Texas Orthopedic Hospital, No. 1 in the state for joint replacement.

Healthgrades, an online platform for finding physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers, rates hospitals based on clinical outcomes such as rates for patient deaths and treatment complications. For this year’s list, Healthgrades evaluated clinical performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals.

“For almost 25 years, our mission has been to provide consumers with clear and accessible information to make more informed health care decisions,” Dr. Brad Bowman, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades, says in a news release.

The Healthgrades rankings “provide consumers with increased transparency regarding the care in their areas, and empowers them to make more confident care decisions for themselves and their families,” Bowman adds.

For Houston Methodist, kudos like those from Healthgrades are common. For instance, the hospital last year landed at No. 16 on U.S. News & World Report’s national honor roll for the best hospitals, up from No. 20 the previous year. It was the top-rated Texas hospital on the list.

“These national accolades are something to be proud of, but most important, our patients are benefiting from all of our hard work. Ultimately, they are the reason we need to be one of the best hospital systems in the country,” Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, said last year in a news release about the U.S. News award.

The Healthgrades honor is one of several pieces of good news for Houston Methodist this year.

The hospital recently unveiled plans for the 26-story Centennial Tower. Scheduled to open in 2027, the $1.4 billion tower will include a larger emergency department and hundreds of patient beds, among other features. The new tower will replace the Houston Main building and West Pavilion.

Shortly after that announcement, the Houston Methodist system said it had received an anonymous $50 million gift. It’s the second largest donation in the system’s 102-year history.

Joining Houston Methodist Hospital in Healthgrades’ national top 250 this year are:

  • Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – McKinney
  • Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple
  • Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg
  • Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene
  • Medical City Arlington
  • Medical City McKinney
  • Methodist Hospital in San Antonio
  • St. David’s Medical Center in Austin
  • St. David’s South Austin Medical Center
  • William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital in Dallas
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Houston team develops innovative soft skeleton for kids with cerebral palsy

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A team from the NSF University of Houston Building Reliable Advances and Innovation in Neurotechnology (UH BRAIN) Center and TIRR Memorial Hermann has introduced the MyoStep soft exoskeleton for children with cerebral palsy, according to a news release from UH.

The soft skeleton aims to address motor impairments caused by cerebral palsy that impact children’s ability to participate in physical activities, self-care and academics.

“The MyoStep project represents a significant advancement in the field of pediatric mobility aids, particularly for children with cerebral palsy,” Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, director of UH BRAIN and the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said in a news release.

The next-generation lightweight, soft exoskeleton was funded by the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) Award.

The MyoStep is made to be lightweight and discreetly fit under clothes. It includes a wireless sensor network embedded inside the smart and flexible fabrics that is the backbone of the suit and collects and sends real-time data about the user’s movements It also includes safety features with temperature monitoring and emergency shut-off mechanisms.

“By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial muscles, smart fabrics, and a comprehensive sensor network, MyoStep offers a promising solution to the challenges faced by existing exoskeletons,” Contreras-Vidal said in a news release.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that impacts motor skills. It occurs in one to four out of every 1,000 births worldwide.

“What makes the MyoStep project so compelling is that it’s not just about the technology: it’s about restoring confidence, function, and hope,” Dr. Gerard Francisco, a clinical partner on the technology, The Wulfe Family Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UTHealth Houston and medical officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann, said in a news release. “This kind of innovation has the potential to dramatically improve quality of life, helping children move through the world with greater ease and dignity.”

Houston universities launch summer 2025 accelerators for student ventures

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OwlSpark, a startup and small business accelerator for Rice University-affiliated ventures, has named the latest 11 companies to its program that focus on challenges across technology, health care, consumer products and other sectors. The program is hosted in tandem with the University of Houston’s RED Labs and will take place at the Ion.

The early-stage accelerator runs for 12 weeks and culminates at The Bayou Startup Showcase on July 31.

According to a news release from Rice, “the accelerator cultivates a vibrant environment where founders are empowered to build, test, and scale their ideas in a setting built for entrepreneurship.”

The program is divided into two tracks: one for high-growth tech startups and another for small businesses.

The latest OwlSpark class includes:

  • Web and mobile platform EasilyBEE, which boosts family and community engagement in K-12 schools
  • Diagnos, a wearable-integrated wellness platform that monitors health and prevents injuries in college athletes
  • Johnnie, an AI-powered records management software for rural and midsize first responder agencies
  • JustKindHumility, which offers faith-based travel journals
  • Klix, whichautomates early-stage clinical trial management from document screening to AI-driven patient outreach and eligibility checks
  • Lizzy’s Gourmet Gains, which offers high-protein, flavor-forward dips and dressings
  • NextStep, an AI-powered multilingual assistant helping underserved communities navigate resources for health care
  • A catheter-integrated sensor device PeriShield, which detects early infection in peritoneal dialysis patients
  • Right Design, which connects creatives with vetted employers, mentors and projects via job matching and commissions
  • UCoreAlly, which provides business support for biotech startups in marketing, business development, customer support, human resources and accounting
  • Ultrasound-based ablation system VentriTech that treats ventricular arrhythmias

The Owl Spark accelerator has supported 229 founders and launched 104 ventures with participants raising more than $116 million in funding since 2013, according to Rice.

UH also shared the 9 teams that will participate in RED Labs' latest cohort.

The latest RED Labs class includes:

  • BLEED, an art agency that helps artists commercialize their work by connecting art collectors to original artwork and artists
  • Brain Haven, which is developing nasal inhalers designed to stimulate the emotional and memory processing centers to preserve neuroplasticity and delay cognitive decline
  • Candi Wands Automated Cotton Candy, which has developed a continuously operating cotton candy machine to help entertainment venues boost passive revenue
  • ChériCollectible, a series of in-person events where Gen Z and collectors can buy, sell, and trade modern collectibles
  • JobRadar, a job board that uses AI to analyze and categorize positions in real-time and then apply candidates instantly
  • Stage Select LLC, a supplementary talent booking service that partners with multi-stage venues to help fill gaps in programming and increase profitability by finding and booking local talent for their "second stage."
  • P-LEGS, a pediatric lower-limb exoskeleton that reduces physical strain on therapists while delivering customizable gait training.
  • Roll ‘N’ Reel Photo Booth, an interactive event-based equipment rental business
  • Stayzy, which automates guest communication and handles maintenance issues with an AI-powered software for short-term rental companies that manage 20-plus rentals