This is the sixth consecutive year that Sheba Medical Center has been listed among the world's most innovative hospitals, and the first time it has entered the top six. Newsweek and Statista placed it 6th in World's Best Smart Hospitals 2027; in the previous edition it ranked ninth.
The ranking cites Sheba as a leader in AI innovation and singles it out in the Robotics and Automation category. The list also includes institutions such as Mayo Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Sheba's AI Center is leading the implementation of a clinical AI platform in collaboration with OpenAI, designed to make medical knowledge more accessible to healthcare professionals and to support their work. ARC, the hospital's innovation platform, has also partnered with NVIDIA and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on joint research combining artificial intelligence and genomics.
In clinical care, Sheba has developed SmartER, an AI-powered platform designed to support healthcare professionals, improve care quality and enhance the experience of those being treated. It has also implemented tools that help identify people who may be suitable for hospital-at-home care and monitor their health remotely. ARC's international network continues to expand, highlighted by a landing pad in Boston that joins its centres in other countries.
The ranking evaluates hospitals across artificial intelligence, robotics, telemedicine, digital imaging and electronic medical records, and recognises institutions that translate technological innovation into practical applications improving quality of care, operational efficiency and the experience of those being treated. It draws on recommendations from experts with professional knowledge of innovation in healthcare, on questionnaires assessing the implementation of advanced technologies, and on Joint Commission International accreditation.
Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center, said that «an advanced healthcare system is a strategic foundation for national resilience, economic growth and Israel's leadership on the international stage», and that the hospital's responsibility is «not only to lead at the forefront of medicine, but also to create value for the economy and society». Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Deputy Director General and Director of ARC, added that «a smart hospital is not measured by the number of technologies it develops, but by its ability to integrate them into the daily work of medical teams».
Newsweek and Statista published the ranking on 22 October 2026, together with its methodology. This sixth edition recognises 410 hospitals across 33 countries. It rests on three pillars: an international survey in which hospital managers and health care professionals recommend leading smart hospitals, Statista's digital maturity survey, and accreditation. From the validated responses each hospital receives a digital maturity score and between one and five ribbons. Sheba Medical Center was awarded five out of five — the top score, reached by only twenty-one hospitals in the whole ranking.