In the 25-26 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) survey of American hospitals, nearly 820 hospitals were rated for their effectiveness at delivering care to adult heart patients.  The hospitals surveyed were scored on various measures related to heart patient outcomes, the breadth of their heart program and services, and the amount of recognition earned by these hospitals from their peers within the cardiology community.  In the 25-26 survey, a score of at least 63.0 out of 100 was required to earn a spot among the top 50 ranked U.S. hospitals for adult heart care. No hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region made the top 50 list and only four hospitals in the region scored more than 50 out of 100 in the 25-26 survey.  The four top-ranked heart hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region in the 25-26 USNWR survey were:

The Top-Ranked Heart Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

UC Health University of Colorado Hospital

Location:  Aurora, CO

National Rank:  N/R

Cardiology & Heart Surgery Score:  52.9 out of 100 

(See ranking details)

Providence St. Patrick Hospital
Location:  Missoula, MT

National Rank:  N/R

Cardiology & Heart Surgery Score:  52.8 out of 100 

(See ranking details)

University of Utah Hospital
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT

National Rank:  N/R

Cardiology & Heart Surgery Score:  51.4 out of 100 

(See ranking details)

Intermountain Healthcare Intermountain Medical Center

Location:  Murray, UT

National Rank:  N/R

Cardiology & Heart Surgery Score:  50.7 out of 100 

(See ranking details)

For more insight into the metrics used to rate heart hospitals in the 25-26 USNWR survey, or to find the cardiology rating of other hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region, visit Best Hospitals for Adult Cardiology Care and Heart Surgery.

Recreational Therapist Pay in the U.S. Mid-East

The most recent occupational employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that over14,000 recreational therapists were employed in the United States as of May 2024.  Just under 3,000 of those recreational therapist jobs were in the five-state U.S. Mid-East region, which encompasses the District of Columbia and five states.  Relative to the rest of the country, BLS data shows the region to be one of much disparity for recreational therapist pay.  The District of Columbia and two states, which collectively hold about 55% of the region's recreational therapist jobs, all ranked among the top eleven states in the country for recreational therapist annual mean wage levels.  However, the remaining 45% of region's employed recreational therapists lived in states where the annual mean wage level for recreational therapists was below the national average.  A closer examination of May 2024 BLS data details the following about recreational therapist pay in the U.S. Mid-East region:

Recreational Therapist Pay in the U.S. Mid-East

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	60	$88,810	2nd
DE	70	$50,940	40th
MD	340	$59,600	22nd
NJ	360	$68,570	7th
NY	1,310	$66,270	11th
PA	750	$56,600	29th
U.S.	14,620	$62,644	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on December 5, 2025