Barnes-Jewish Hospital: Academic Medical Center, Nationally Ranked Specialties, and Comprehensive Care in St. Louis, MO

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the largest hospital in Missouri and one of the most recognized academic medical centers in the United States. Located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, the hospital operates in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine and serves as the flagship adult teaching hospital for WashU Medicine. Consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, Barnes-Jewish provides care across more than 88 specialties to patients from across the country and internationally.

Overview of Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a 1,266-bed academic medical center affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine, ranked No. 1 in Missouri and St. Louis by U.S. News and World Report and nationally ranked in 11 adult specialties.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital was formed by the merger of two institutions: Barnes Hospital, which opened December 7, 1914, and The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, founded in 1902 by leaders of the St. Louis Jewish community to serve patients of any creed or nationality. The merged institution became Barnes-Jewish in 1996 and joined BJC HealthCare, the parent health system. As of 2018, the hospital employed more than 12,125 staff members including 1,723 attending physicians, and supervised the education of over 1,100 interns, residents, and fellows. In 2025, U.S. News reported that Barnes-Jewish is nationally ranked in 11 out of 14 evaluated specialties, making it among the most comprehensively recognized hospitals in the country.

Medical Specialties and Services

Barnes-Jewish Hospital offers clinical programs across more than 25 service lines, with nationally recognized programs in cancer, heart and vascular disease, neurology, transplantation, digestive diseases, urology, and orthopedic care.

The hospital’s clinical breadth spans cancer care through the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, cardiac surgery, organ transplantation, neurology and neurosurgery, spine care, women’s and infant health, pulmonology, nephrology, rheumatology, dermatology, and psychiatric services. U.S. News and World Report has designated Barnes-Jewish as high-performing in procedures including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, spinal fusion, colon cancer surgery, and COPD management. According to Healthgrades, the hospital has received the America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award, the Patient Safety Excellence Award, and the Outstanding Patient Experience Award in both 2024 and 2025.

Siteman Cancer Center

The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, holds National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation and is among the largest cancer programs in the United States.

Siteman Cancer Center provides a full continuum of cancer services, from early detection and prevention through advanced treatment and survivorship care. The center has earned NCI Merit Extension recognition, reflecting consistently high standards in cancer research and patient outcomes. Treatment modalities include surgical oncology, radiation therapy with the S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center, medical oncology, CAR-T cell immunotherapy, blood and marrow transplantation, and clinical trial access. Satellite Siteman locations extend cancer care access to patients in St. Peters, West County, and other communities in the greater St. Louis region.

Heart and Vascular Program

The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart and Vascular Center is a nationally recognized program providing comprehensive cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure management, and heart transplantation.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital has received American Heart Association honors including the Mission: Lifeline Gold Award and the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award. The Heart and Vascular Center has also received two national honors for clinical excellence, recognized by independent evaluators for its outcomes in cardiac surgery and heart failure care. The hospital performs complex procedures including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), ventricular assist device implantation, and multivessel coronary bypass surgery, supported by WashU Medicine cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who also lead research programs advancing cardiovascular medicine.

Transplant Program

The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center performs more than 430 solid-organ transplants per year and is the only comprehensive transplant program in the region offering heart, kidney, liver, and lung transplantation.

The kidney transplant program at Barnes-Jewish celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013, marking decades of leadership in organ transplantation. Outcomes at the Transplant Center meet or exceed national averages across all organ types, according to the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The center’s team includes transplant surgeons, hepatologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, transplant coordinators, and social workers who support patients from pre-transplant evaluation through long-term post-transplant follow-up. The Transplant Mentor Program pairs newly listed patients with experienced transplant recipients to provide peer support through the process.

Emergency Medicine

Barnes-Jewish Hospital operates a high-volume emergency department serving as a Level I trauma center for the St. Louis region, with heliport access for air ambulance transport of critically ill and injured patients.

The emergency department at Barnes-Jewish serves as a safety-net resource for patients across the St. Louis metro area, including underinsured and uninsured populations. Emergency physicians are WashU Medicine faculty, providing academic-level expertise across all emergency presentations. Patients requiring emergency air transport can access the on-campus heliport. For patients with non-emergent needs, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital also maintain emergency departments with WashU Medicine-trained physician coverage.

Academic Mission and Research

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the adult teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine, supervising more than 1,100 residents, interns, and fellows while supporting translational research programs that advance clinical treatments for patients.

The hospital’s academic mission aligns directly with its patient care programs. WashU Medicine faculty serve as the attending physician staff, meaning patients at Barnes-Jewish receive care from physician-scientists who are active contributors to medical literature and clinical trial leadership. Research conducted at the Washington University Medical Center campus has led to advances in cancer immunotherapy, cardiac surgery techniques, organ transplantation protocols, and neurological disease management. The Center for Advanced Medicine on campus supports outpatient specialty clinics where research and clinical care are integrated.

Nursing Excellence and Accreditations

Barnes-Jewish Hospital has earned its fifth Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest recognition in nursing practice, and holds a 5-star CMS overall hospital quality rating as of 2024.

Magnet recognition reflects the hospital’s commitment to nursing professional development, shared governance, and patient care quality. Barnes-Jewish is one of a limited number of hospitals nationally to receive five consecutive Magnet designations. The CMS 5-star rating in 2024 represents a significant improvement in independently measured quality metrics covering mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience, and timely and effective care. Becker’s Hospital Review has listed Barnes-Jewish among its 100 Great Hospitals multiple times, and the hospital consistently appears on lists of top heart programs in the country.

Patient Services, Visiting, and Parking

Barnes-Jewish Hospital provides dedicated patient support services including interpreter services, spiritual care, social work, international patient coordination, MyChart online access, and multiple on-campus parking garages with convenient pedestrian connections.

Patients and visitors can park in several campus garages including the Euclid Garage at 224 S. Euclid Avenue, which connects to the Center for Advanced Medicine via a pedestrian bridge on the third floor. Shuttle service operates between campus facilities. Interpreter services are available for patients whose primary language is not English. Social work services assist patients and families with care coordination, discharge planning, and access to community resources. The BJC HealthCare financial assistance policy supports patients without insurance coverage, and cost estimate requests can be submitted through the billing office at barnesjewish.org. For existing drginasam.net readers familiar with regional hospital systems, see our coverage of Alton Memorial Hospital, a BJC HealthCare affiliate serving the Metro East Illinois community.

Community Mission

Barnes-Jewish Hospital serves as the primary safety-net hospital for the city of St. Louis, caring for underserved and uninsured patients across the metro area while providing services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

The hospital’s community mission dates to the founding values of The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, established to serve patients of any background. Barnes-Jewish participates in free community health programs including annual flu vaccination events and outreach through the BJC HealthCare network. The hospital’s position as the largest private employer in Greater St. Louis, with over 10,000 employees, also represents a substantial economic and social commitment to the region. According to BJC HealthCare, Barnes-Jewish is committed to ensuring that advanced medicine reaches patients who need it most, not only those who can afford premium private care.

To schedule an appointment or find a physician affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, call 866-867-3627 or visit barnesjewish.org to request an appointment online through the BJC provider directory.