Forbes names Sentara one of America's Best-in-State employers for 3rd consecutive year

Annual rankings based on 245,000 employee surveys across U.S. companies with 500+ workers

For the third consecutive year, Sentara Health has been named one of America's Best-in-State Employers by Forbes.

The recognition places Sentara among the top employers in Virginia - a state where it operates as the largest integrated health system and one of the largest private employers, with 35,000 employees on a mission to improve health every day.

This annual award is presented by Forbes and Statista, a leading market research firm. Forbes and Statista compiled the ranking by surveying 245,000 employees who work for U.S. companies with at least 500 employees.

Respondents were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to evaluate a range of criteria including wage parity, work culture, paths to advancement, and whether their employer takes action on issues such as sexual harassment and workplace violence.

Responses were incorporated into a scoring system, along with aggregated survey data from the past three years.

Sentara's broader Forbes recognition

The Best-in-State recognition is one of several Forbes honors Sentara has received in recent years.

Nine Sentara hospitals were named to Forbes's inaugural America's Top Hospitals list in 2026, ranking among the nation's best for patient outcomes, best practices, value, and patient experience. On this list were three five-star hospitals, including Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, and Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk. The list evaluated 5,400 U.S. hospitals using clinical data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other quality metrics, including mortality and infection rates, readmissions, best practices, and patient experience.

In addition, Forbes designated Sentara as a "Best Employer for Veterans" in 2023, "Best Employer for New Grads" in 2022, "Best Employer for Women" in 2020, and one of "America's Best Employers" in 2018.

Together, these recognitions reflect Sentara's ongoing commitment to building a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to deliver exceptional care.