River’s Edge Hospital Ranked #1 in Joint Replacement in Minnesota by Healthgrades
River’s Edge Hospital among Minnesota’s top facilities for joint replacement.
St. Peter, MN – October 28, 2025 – River’s Edge Hospital announced today that it has been ranked #1 for Joint Replacement in Minnesota for 2026 by Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. These distinctions reflect River’s Edge Hospital’s consistently exceptional performance in critical service areas and place River’s Edge among a distinguished group of top-tier facilities in Minnesota.
“Since partnering with River’s Edge Hospital in 2014, we’ve been dedicated to raising the standard of orthopedic care through our OrthoEdge program,” said Dr. Swanson, OFC orthopedic surgeon and Chief of Staff at River’s Edge Hospital. “My partners and I at OFC have worked tirelessly to provide the highest level of specialty care and being recognized by Healthgrades for consecutive years is both an honor and a reflection of our shared commitment to excellence in total joint care.”
This is the third consecutive year River’s Edge has earned the #1 ranking by Healthgrades for Joint Replacement. In addition to this top honor, River’s Edge received numerous specialty Excellence Awards in orthopedic services and joint replacement, which put the organization among the top 5% of U.S. hospitals for these specific areas. River’s Edge Hospital was also rated five stars for 3 services, including knee replacement, hip replacement and hip fracture treatment. These achievements, along with the hospital’s earlier achievements in the same areas since 2023, further affirm River’s Edge’s status as a premier destination for specialty care and underscore the organization’s longstanding commitment to excellent patient care.
“We are honored to be recognized by Healthgrades for the third consecutive year,” said Paula Meskan, FACHE, CEO at River’s Edge Hospital. “We strive to ensure our joint replacement program, along with all services that River’s Edge Hospital provides, are consistently high quality. Everything we do is in line with our mission: To provide safe, quality and individualized care to the communities that we serve. The recognition from Healthgrades confirms for us that we are achieving our mission. Thank you to our patients for their continued trust and support of River’s Edge. “
River’s Edge Hospital’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. Each year, Healthgrades evaluates risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to identify the top hospitals in key specialty areas, including orthopedic services and total joint replacement. Through easy-to-understand, objective measures of hospital performance, Healthgrades empowers patients with the information they need to find a hospital that excels in their procedure or condition.
As performance gaps persist between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving facilities, seeking care at a top program has never been more important. Healthgrades’ 2026 analysis revealed that if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to five-star hospitals during the 2022-2024 study period, on average, 230,466 lives could have been saved and 156,797 complications could have been avoided.*
“Healthgrades’ specialty awards identify the nation’s top-performing hospitals in key service areas, helping consumers find high quality care tailored to their specific needs,” said Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize River’s Edge Hospital for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas, including orthopedics and joint replacement.”
Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2026 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology.
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ABOUT ORTHOPAEDIC & FRACTURE CLINIC
Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic (OFC) has been Southern Minnesota’s trusted leader in orthopedic care since 1957. With a team of board-certified surgeons and more than 100 dedicated providers and staff, OFC offers advanced, personalized treatment for bones, joints, and muscles. Services include walk-in care, on-site imaging (X-ray, DXA, MRI), back care, bone health, sports medicine, and physical and occupational therapy. Learn more at ofc-clinic.com.
ABOUT RIVER’S EDGE HOSPITAL
River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic is a 25-Bed Critical Access Hospital located in St. Peter, Minnesota. River’s Edge provides a wide range of healthcare services, combining state-of-the-art technology with compassionate care, collaboration, integrity and stewardship. It is the mission of River’s Edge Hospital to provide safe, quality, and individualized care to the communities we serve. Find more information at www.REHC.org.
About Healthgrades
Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.
For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.
Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central and Bezzy, which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives each month.