Known as the City of Brotherly Love and for its numerous historical sites, Philadelphia fascinates many travelers and residents. You can try a delicious Philly Cheesesteak, take a tour of Independence Hall or stroll down the cobblestone streets near the Liberty Bell. The city also attracts nurses and allied health professionals seeking staff and travel roles. Hospitals in Philadelphia, PA, provide many employment opportunities, ranging from behavioral health to long-term care facilities.
To help you explore some great healthcare employers, we’ve compiled a list below of 10 Philadelphia hospitals, using rankings from the 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report and facility and employee reviews. While this isn’t a top 10 list, it does provide a comprehensive overview of several Philadelphia healthcare facilities for registered nurses and allied health professionals seeking new opportunities.
Overview of 10 Top Philadelphia Hospitals
1. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
As the flagship of Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) seeks to improve patient lives through its groundbreaking research. The 868-bed teaching facility affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University’s Medical College ranked as the No. 3 Best Hospital in Pennsylvania and No. 2 in Philadelphia per U.S. News & World Report. It also ranked nationally in 9 adult specialties, including:
- No. 2 Ophthalmology
- No. 27 Ear, Nose & Throat
- No. 30 Urology
- No. 31 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- No. 34 Orthopedics
- No. 40 Neurology & Neurosurgery
- No. 40 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
- No. 47 Cancer
- No. 49 Geriatrics
TJUH received its fourth Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses and Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 2023. In addition, Philadelphia magazine named more than 600 of the hospital’s doctors on its“Top Doctors” list. TJUH’s Bodine Center is one of the busiest radiation oncology centers in the Philadelphia area, providing cutting-edge cancer treatments, and an excellent opportunity for oncology nurses to elevate their careers.
2. Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
Source: Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Medical Center provides primary and specialty care for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). It’s a 142-bed teaching hospital that’s part of the VA Philadelphia Healthcare System. Partnered with the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, this healthcare facility trains more than 200 medical students per year. The facility also offers training programs for various healthcare specialties, including:
- Audiology
- Dentistry
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Pharmacy
- Psychology
The Corporal Michael J. Crescenze Medical Center strives to provide compassionate, equitable care for its patients. Some services include suicide prevention, mental health care, pain management, and prosthetics and rehabilitation. To better serve its communities, social programs like LGBTQ+, homeless and minority veteran care are also available.
3. Shriners Hospitals for Children – Philadelphia
Located near Temple University’s Health Science campus stands Shriners Hospitals for Children – Philadelphia, or Shriners Children’s Philadelphia for short. It’s part of the extensive non-profit healthcare system, Shriners Hospitals for Children, which serves communities nationwide. The 49-bed children’s orthopedic facility offers an individualized treatment approach for children and provides a wide range of pediatric specialties, including:
- Fracture Care
- Orthopedic Care
- Scoliosis and Spine Care
- Sports Injuries
Shriners Children’s Philadelphia also specializes in spinal cord injuries. In 1980, it became the first pediatric spinal cord injury rehabilitation program in the U.S. Committed to education, the hospital partners with several academic institutions in the area, like Temple University and Thomas Jefferson University. Shriners Children’s Philadelphia is a leader in pediatric research and hosts several fundraising events throughout the year.
4. Friends Hospital
Located on Roosevelt Boulevard, Friends Hospital is a 192-bed psychiatric hospital. As the nation’s first private non-profit institution, it seeks to help heal those with mental illnesses. Friends Hospital focuses on “moral treatment” and strives to provide patients with tools to manage and control their symptoms. The facility has many complementary treatment options, including:
- Horticulture Therapy
- Hydrotherapy
- Pet Therapy
Friends Hospital also has a gymnasium where patients can exercise or participate in sports. Its many treatment programs range from adolescent mental health to long-term community residences. Friends Hospital partners with several organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
5. Belmont Behavioral Hospital
Serving its community for over 75 years, Belmont Behavioral Hospital is a state-of-the-art psychiatric facility with 252 patient beds. It has a crisis response center and offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment options. Some of the specialty services it provides include:
- Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
- Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
- Mood Disorder Treatment
Belmont Behavioral Hospital strives to serve the community by offering support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Nar-Anon and the American Anorexia and Bulimia Association of Philadelphia. It also has workshops and educational support groups for family members of people who have mental illnesses and hoarding behaviors.
6. Roxborough Memorial Hospital
Roxborough Memorial Hospital is a 131-bed community hospital founded in 1890. It offers a unique, accredited hospital-based nursing diploma program through its School of Nursing, where students gain hands-on clinical experience. The hospital has won several awards and accolades, including:
- Platinum designation from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s 2023 Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge
- Grade “A” on the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for outstanding social responsibility
- Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades in 2023
- Grade “A” in Safety from Leapfrog in 2018, 2019 and 2021
Roxborough Memorial Hospital provides high-quality patient care and received the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines GoldPlus award for its quality care of stroke patients in 2023. The hospital offers many employment opportunities in a wide range of specialties, from inpatient rehabilitation to wound healing & hyperbaric care.
7. Kindred Hospital – Philadelphia
Located in northern Philadelphia, Kindred Hospital – Philadelphis is a 52-bed long-term acute care facility, that’s part of the national healthcare system, ScionHealth. It provides extended medical care for patients discharged from the hospital who no longer require extensive diagnostic procedures or intensive care. The healthcare facility specializes in complex medical needs and offers many types of care, including:
- Cardiac Care and Recovery
- Intravenous (IV) Drug and Nutrition Therapy
- Organ Transplant Care
- Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation
Kindred Hospital provides 24/7 physician oversight and has many specialists and subspecialists who round and provide quality care. It also has onsite services such as telemetry, diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing. This facility offers numerous job opportunities, including careers as respiratory therapists, unit secretaries and clinical nurse supervisors.
8. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Founded in 1855 by Francis West Lewis, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania medical school’s pediatric department and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. CHOP is part of CHOP Care Network, has 627 beds and employs over 16,000 people. It ranked No. 4 on the 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, with 10 of its pediatric specialties ranked as top in the nation, including:
- No. 1 Orthopedics
- No. 3 Diabetes & Endocrinology
- No. 4 Neonatology
- No. 4 Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- No. 4 Nephrology
- No. 4 Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
- No. 4 Urology
- No. 5 Neurology & Neurosurgery
- No. 9 Cancer
- No. 17 Cardiology & Heart Surgery
CHOP earned its fourth Magnet designation in 2019 for nursing excellence and is currently reapplying for its fifth. It boasts many nursing programs, including a summer nurse externship, oncology fellowship and a nurse residency accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
9. Chestnut Hill Hospital
As part of Temple Health, Chestnut Hill Hospital provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services and serves the northwestern Philadelphia communities. It has 128 beds and is committed to quality and safety. Chestnut Hill Hospital has received many awards and recognitions throughout the years, including:
- Get With the Guidelines-Stroke GoldPlus with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll in 2022 from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
- Pulmonary Care Excellence Award in 2022 from Healthgrades
- American Heart Association and American Medical Association’s Silver level recognition as part of the 2021 Target: BP Recognition Program for improving blood pressure control
In addition, Philadelphia magazine named many of the hospital’s physicians to its “Top Doctors” list in 2022. Chestnut Hill partners with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and provides clinical rotations for residency programs in specialties like Internal Medicine and Surgery.
10. Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fox Chase Cancer Center is a 100-bed facility that provides outstanding cancer treatment. U.S. News & World Report nationally ranked it No. 42 in Cancer Care and No. 13 in Urology in 2023-24. Fox Chase Cancer Center also ranked high-performing in six procedures and conditions, including:
- Colon Cancer Surgery
- Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma
- Lung Cancer Surgery
- Ovarian Cancer Surgery
- Prostate Cancer Surgery
- Uterine Cancer Surgery
In 2023, it achieved its sixth Magnet recognition from the ANCC, and numerous physicians were named “Top Doctors” in Philadelphia magazine. The Fox Chase Cancer Center is a leader in cancer research, publishing cutting-edge research and offering one-of-a-kind clinical trials for patients. It hosts several cancer research fellowships and residencies for physicians and internships for undergraduate, graduate and high school students.
Consider the many staff nursing jobs and travel nursing opportunities at these great hospitals throughout Philadelphia, PA. If you want to move outside the Philadelphia metropolitan area, explore the many top-rated healthcare employers throughout Pennsylvania.
I am a certified sterile process technician at Massachusetts General Hospital, my role is called Service line coordinator (Operating room liaison), which is a Supervisor level job. Recently, we were thinking about moving there, but I don’t know anything about the healthcare system there and as you know the first step is to find a solid job before looking for a house! Any advice will be highly appreciated. Thanks you in advance.
Hello Mario and thanks for reaching out! An excellent place to start is Vivian’s job marketplace. You can find current sterile processing technician Philadelphia jobs. If you have a Reusable Profile created on Vivian, you can set up alerts to receive notifications when new jobs matching your desired role and location post on the site. You might try contacting a recruiter to help with your search or reach out to hospitals in the area you’d be interested in working at to see if they have any unpublished openings. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope Vivian can help!