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Twenty nursing homes on Long Island earned the top distinction in U.S. News & World Report’s newly released 2026 Best Nursing Homes ratings, receiving high-performing badges in both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.
U.S. News evaluated nearly 15,000 nursing homes nationwide this year and recognized fewer than 19 percent as “Best Nursing Homes” in either or both categories.
The 2026 ratings also feature an expanded methodology, with 17 distinct quality measures in each category that capture post-acute care quality, staffing consistency and patient-centered outcomes, U.S. News reported.
“Choosing a nursing facility…is one of the most crucial health care decisions a family can make,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, who noted that this year’s ratings provide a more holistic assessment of quality.
Below are the Long Island facilities that earned high-performing designations in both categories. Each of the facilities on the list below accepts Medicare and Medicaid:
LI facilities with two high-performing badges
Suffolk County
Brookhaven Health Care Facility
East Patchogue
160 beds
Surge Rehabilitation and Nursing
Middle Island
164 beds
Jefferson’s Ferry
South Setauket
60 beds
Momentum at South Bay for Rehabilitation and Nursing
East Islip
160 beds
Long Island State Veterans Home
Stony Brook
350 beds
St. Catherine of Siena Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center
Smithtown
240 beds
Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center
West Islip
450 beds
Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
Riverhead
181 beds
Peconic Landing at Southold
Greenport
66 beds
Nassau County
Excel at Woodbury for Rehabilitation and Nursing
Woodbury
123 beds
Belair Care Center
Bellmore
102 beds
South Shore Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Freeport
100 beds
Emerge Nursing and Rehabilitation at Glen Cove
Glen Cove
102 beds
Rockville Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Rockville Centre
66 beds
Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing
Lynbrook
100 beds
Northwell Health Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation
Manhasset
256 beds
Highfield Gardens Care Center of Great Neck
Great Neck
200 beds
Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care & Rehabilitation
New Hyde Park
527 beds
The Five Towns Premier Rehab & Nursing Center
Woodmere
336 beds
A full breakdown of the 2026 Best Nursing Homes ratings is available from U.S. News & World Report.
Top: A husband and wife “graduated” together earlier this month from the rehab program at Surge Rehabilitation and Nursing in Middle Island (Facebook photo).
