Denver, Colo. — HCA HealthONE, as a part of HCA Healthcare, today announced that it has been recognized on Fortune’s 2026 World’s Most Admired Companies list, ranked first in its industry. HCA Healthcare is ranked No. 1 in its industry again this year.
Since 1997, Fortune has collaborated with Korn Ferry to determine the World’s Most Admired Companies list. This year 685 companies across 51 industries and 29 countries were analyzed. The top-rated companies were rated by executives, directors and analysts on nine criteria: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.
“Being named to Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list again is a reflection of the dedication our colleagues bring to caring for patients across the Denver metro area,’ said Chad Christianson, president and chief executive officer of HCA HealthONE. ‘As part of HCA Healthcare, we’re connected to more resources and more solutions, and we’re focused on showing up for our community with high-quality, patient-centered care.”
HCA Healthcare strives to elevate the delivery of care through research and innovation. In 2025, HCA Healthcare Research Institute, the multispecialty clinical research arm of the company, grew to 54 sites across the country and enrolled more than 6,600 patients in more than 520 active research studies. HCA Healthcare’s Digital Transformation & Innovation department also continues to build upon technology platform investments to help improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency, strengthen the connection of the company’s care networks and create more time for what matters most: caring for patients.
HCA HealthONE employs more than 12,000 colleagues and is trusted with more than 1.5 million patient encounters annually. Named one of Premier’s 15 Top Health Systems in the country five times, the system features advanced medical technologies and expertise across numerous specialties, including cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences, women’s health and transplant services. The commitment to comprehensive care is further exemplified by specialized facilities such as Level I and Level II trauma centers, a certified burn and reconstruction center and the region’s largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
HCA Healthcare also supports its colleagues and their continued education through its tuition assistance program that provided more than $40 million to more than 11,700 colleagues last year, with 24% of colleagues using their tuition assistance towards pursuing a nursing degree. With a strategic focus on skill-building and hands-on learning opportunities, HCA Healthcare is deeply committed to the continuous professional development of nursing staff through targeted educational experiences. The company also invests in its future leaders through the HCA Healthcare Leadership Institute, which provides leaders with the essential skills to lead teams, overcome business challenges and deliver value to patients and communities. Since inception, the Leadership Institute has graduated more than 40,140 colleagues from its programs, including more than 9,200 in 2025.