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Located just 40 miles from the nation’s capital, Baltimore, Maryland, is a lively community and home to many exceptional healthcare facilities. The employment options are as diverse as the city’s vibrant nightlife, attractions and charming neighborhoods. Hospitals in Baltimore include a diverse range of facilities catering to various medical specialties and services.
Baltimore has general hospitals offering comprehensive care across multiple disciplines, specialized hospitals focused on areas such as pediatric or geriatric care, research hospitals, teaching hospitals and renowned trauma centers providing critical emergency services. The variety of healthcare facilities in the city ensures that Baltimore is well-equipped to meet the diverse healthcare needs of its population and provide well-rounded career opportunities for healthcare professionals.
Situated on the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore is known for its unique cuisine of fresh crabs, oysters and seafood. Living in Maryland has a higher cost of living than other states. Luckily Baltimore has a lower cost of living than the rest of the state and a higher-than-average staff nurse salary. If you’re looking to explore staff or travel nurse jobs in Baltimore, you’ll find a variety of positions at top hospitals in and around the city.
Compiled below is a list of some of the best hospitals in Baltimore. While this list isn’t a top 10 list, these facilities are unique in the variety of specialties they offer and the populations they treat. Using facility and employee reviews and employer ratings with stats and rankings pulled from U.S. News & World Report in 2023-24, we offer a comprehensive look at some impressive Baltimore hospitals.
Spotlight on 10 Hospitals in Baltimore
1. The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins, the philanthropist, was a fierce advocate for improving public health and education in Baltimore. This 999-bed facility bearing his name continues to pursue his dream of improving healthcare in Baltimore. For years, including 2023-24, it has ranked as the No.1 hospital in Maryland. The Johns Hopkins Hospital has earned Magnet designation for its excellence in nursing since 2003. It’s also known to be the best in the country for Rheumatology and caring for the most medically complex patients. It ranks in the top five nationally for the following specialties:
- Ear, Nose & Throat
- Neurology & Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Psychiatry
The Children’s Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital is ranked as providing the best pediatric care available in Maryland and 10th in the nation. It ranks in the top 25 for all 10 pediatric specialties. The success of their children’s unit relies heavily on quality care from the hospital staff. Pediatric nurses hoping to gain specialty training and experience find numerous jobs at this facility.
2. Saint Agnes Hospital
Saint Agnes Hospital puts the patients first with a commitment and respect that has served the community for over 150 years. This commitment is evident throughout their 159-bed facility dedicated to providing access to healthcare services for those with financial barriers. Saint Agnes Hospital provides financial assistance to those who require emergent or other necessary medical care.
Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital provides many specialty care services that include:
- Weight Loss Surgery
- Orthopedic Care
- Cancer Care
- OB-GYN and Maternity Services
- Heart Care
In 2022, Saint Agnes Hospital won the Patient Safety Excellence Award, along with the Excellence Award in Orthopedic Surgery and has been named America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery. The staff makes all the difference in patient safety. According to reviews, Saint Agnes is a great workplace because of their dedication to patients and staff.
3. Mercy Medical Center Mary Catherine Bunting Center
Located in downtown Baltimore, the Mary Catherine Bunting Center is the main hospital on Mercy’s downtown campus. It was completed in 2010 as a replacement hospital and acted as a new “front door” for the rest of the campus. Mercy has been Magnet designated since 2011.
This hospital in Baltimore combines state-of-the-art technology with extensive landscaping to enhance the connection between nature and healing. The Mary Catherine Bunting Center also boasts private inpatient rooms with many amenities, such as:
- Private bathrooms
- Sofas
- Pull-out ottomans
- Breathtaking views of the Baltimore skyline
The Mary Catherine Bunting Center provides a comfortable environment with friendly people that make it feel like home. Executives understand the synchronistic environment between all levels of management and their employees. People enjoy working here and say Mercy keeps their hire promises and offers a good wage and benefits package.
4. Kennedy Krieger Institute
Located in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region, this healthcare institute is a smaller 50-bed children’s rehabilitation facility focusing on young patients with developmental disabilities and brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal disorders. Kennedy Krieger Institute is internationally recognized for improving the lives of tens of thousands of children, adolescents and adults with neurological, rehabilitative or developmental needs.
Its patient care programs offer an interdisciplinary treatment approach tailored to individual needs. Besides its rehabilitation, neurobehavioral and pediatric feeding disorders inpatient units, it has more than 55 outpatient clinics and several home and community programs.
Many opportunities exist at the Kenedy Krieger Institute for allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists and respiratory therapists. As a caring health professional wanting to make a big difference and aiming to create an environment of inclusion for individuals with disabilities, this facility would make a great career choice.
5. VA Maryland Health Care System – Baltimore VA Medical Center
Located in downtown Baltimore, this specialty care center dedicated to veterans has 131 beds. The Baltimore VA Medical Center provides primary and specialty care services, including:
- Mental Health
- Women’s Healthcare
- Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
- Blind or Low Vision Care
- Cancer Treatment
- Physical Therapy
- Chronic Pain Management
The Baltimore VA Medical Center is above average, according to its website, 83% of veterans get an appointment when they need it. Working with veterans is a rewarding career. Giving back to those who gave so much for this country is a valued service and makes a great choice when searching hospitals in Baltimore.
6. Greater Baltimore Medical Center
As a community, not-for-profit hospital, the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) is a 257-bed facility that provides short-term acute care. It’s also a teaching hospital that offers nurse residency programs. GBMC has a reputation for being a great workplace. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, its first-year nurse turnover rate decreased from 27% in 2017 to less than 15%, placing it in the top 10% of national hospitals for nursing retention.
In 2020, it won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the nation’s highest presidential award for performance excellence. GBMC has achieved a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Although not nationally ranked in any specific specialty, this Baltimore hospital rated high performing in the following adult procedures and conditions in 2023-2024:
- Colon Cancer Surgery
- Heart Failure
- Diabetes
- Kidney Failure
- Stroke
- Hip Replacement
- Knee Replacement
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Pneumonia
GBMC has been making changes to improve its Advanced Radiology Breast Imaging Center. It’s also home to Maryland’s largest comprehensive community cancer program, making it a great career choice for those wishing to advance their career within a radiology team, such as radiologists, dosimetrists, oncology nurses, medical physicists or oncologists.
7. Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital
This 214-bed hospital is near Towson, one of Baltimore’s most popular suburbs. Catholic teachings and Gospel Values guide MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital. As a community hospital, they offer many services such as:
- Cancer Care
- Endocrinology
- Women’s Health
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Emergency Medicine
- Geriatrics
- Wound Care, Hyperbaric Medicine and Limb Saving
- Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Orthopedics
- Thoracic Surgery Treatments
- Primary Care
For over 50 years, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital has been serving the Baltimore area. Though it’s not Magnet designated yet, it’s on the Magnet Recognition journey through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Earning this recognition served as its commitment to nursing excellence, safe and quality care, patient experience and a positive and healthy work environment.
With a proven dedication to their employees, it’s a bonus that MedStar Good Samaritan is the only hospital in Baltimore to offer free parking to staff and visitors.
8. University of Maryland Medical Center
As a leading academic teaching hospital, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) ranks seventh in Maryland and eighth in Baltimore for Best Regional Hospital. It was the nation’s first medical teaching and training hospital, and 2023 marks its 200th anniversary. With 789 beds, the UMMC has always been on the leading edge of technology. From their inception in 1823, when they developed modern trauma care, to advancing technologies like being the first facility to deliver a kidney by drone to a transplant patient.
As a healthcare professional, there are many reasons to work at a cutting-edge teaching facility, including educational opportunities to advance your career. As a teaching and research center, less rigid protocols allow staff the autonomy to think critically and utilize the most current evidence-based practice. The University of Maryland Medical Center has been Magnet designated since 2009.
9. Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
With a history rooted in widespread antisemitism faced by Jewish doctors and patients in 1866, Sinai Hospital was founded as an inclusive private hospital. Medical staff members strive to provide care and treatment regardless of age, race, ethnicity or gender.
As a not-for-profit teaching hospital, Sinai trains more than 500 medical students yearly and is the largest community hospital in Maryland, with 483 beds. This Baltimore hospital is affiliated with LifeBridge Health and offers its employees extensive benefits that include:
- Adoption assistance
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Prescription drug plan
- Cigna Dental
- School loan reimbursement
- Health Care FSA
- Dependent Care FSA
- 403b retirement plan
- Vision benefits
10. Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital
Ranked as the 9th best hospital in the nation for psychiatry, Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital is the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit mental health facility. It offers many programs at the main hospital and throughout Maryland. Sheppard & Enoch Pratt’s inpatient and outpatient services include:
- Mental Health
- Special Education
- Co-occurring Disorders
- Developmental Disability
- Social Services
- Substance Use
- Social Services
Boasting 258 beds, Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital strives to make mental health treatment accessible for its patients. Nurses or allied health professionals seeking psychiatric experience find many career opportunities here.
With each facility’s wide range of specialty services and procedures, picking the best hospitals in Baltimore would be impossible. However, healthcare professionals seeking employment here can explore workplace culture, professional development opportunities, benefits and other relevant information to help them find a facility that aligns with their career goals.
Explore nursing jobs in Baltimore and the surrounding area on Vivian to learn more about the opportunities at top healthcare facilities in this amazing city.
