---
title: "5W AI: AI engines favor academic hospitals in 46 states"
description: "A new report from 5W AI Communications reveals AI engines rank academic medical centers as top hospitals in 46 U.S. states. HCA missed top spots."
canonical_url: https://clinicalterminal.com/article/103194050
section: technology
byline: The Desk · AI-assisted
date_published: 2026-06-19T16:32:55.234Z
date_label: June 19, 2026
image: https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/clinical-ai-design.firebasestorage.app/o/desk-heroes%2FZXce8Jst6TCAgF9mWJq7%2Fhero_057b5293f35e_w1920.jpg?alt=media
source: https://clinicalterminal.com
---

# AI Engines Rank Academic Hospitals Top in 46 States, Overlooking HCA, Report Finds

*A report released on June 17, 2026, by [5W AI Communications](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/company/103185070) found that AI answer engines recommended an academic medical center as the leading hospital in 46 out of 50 U.S. states. The study, part of [The 5W AI Trust Map of America](https://www.5wpr.com/ai-visibility-index/healthcare-ai-map-2026/) series, measured how different AI platforms rank hospitals at the state level.*

In contrast, [HCA Healthcare](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/hospital/716947), which operates 187 hospitals in 20 states, did not receive the top recommendation in any state. According to the report, the five largest U.S. hospital chains combined also failed to secure a dominant recommendation in any of the states analyzed.

The analysis suggests that AI engines prioritize signals such as academic affiliation, US News & World Report rankings, and peer-reviewed research output. Factors like the number of hospitals operated or marketing spend appeared to have less influence on the rankings. The findings were based on 3,000 data points modeled in May 2026 across five AI engines, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Overviews.

## Sources

- [PR Newswire — Health](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mayo-cleveland-clinic-johns-hopkins--ai-picks-academic-medical-centers-over-hca-in-46-of-50-states-302785613.html)

---
Canonical article: https://clinicalterminal.com/article/103194050  
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