All four Alameda Health System (AHS) skilled nursing and sub-acute facilities have been recognized on Newsweek’s America’s Best Nursing Homes 2026 list, the health system announced on September 29, 2025. The recognized facilities include Fairmont Rehabilitation and Wellness in San Leandro, as well as Alameda Hospital Skilled Nursing Facilities in Alameda, which encompass Park Bridge Rehabilitation and Wellness, Alameda Hospital Sub-Acute Unit, and South Shore Rehabilitation and Wellness. These facilities are part of AHS, the public safety-net health system of Alameda County.
The recognition comes at a time of significant financial uncertainty for the health system. Last July, Congress passed sweeping cuts to Medicaid as part of H.R.1, also known as The Big Bill. Experts project that AHS will lose $100 million annually in federal funding by 2030 due to these cuts. Approximately 80% of AHS funding comes from Medicaid and state health care reimbursements, known in California as Medi-Cal. These dollars support not only AHS skilled nursing facilities but also other essential services such as trauma, emergency, hospital, and primary care.
“The need for affordable, high-quality skilled nursing home care is enormous in Alameda County. I’m proud that AHS skilled nursing care providers are meeting the need with excellence and honored by Newsweek’s recognition. However, it is also important to sound the alarm: Medicaid funding has been slashed and health care services like these that are critically important to the health and well-being of our community are at risk,” said James Jackson, CEO of AHS.
Long-term skilled nursing care is prohibitively expensive for most people, which is why Medicaid is the primary payer for over 60% of residents in nursing facilities. The recognition affirms the belief that public safety-net health systems can provide exceptional care on par with for-profit institutions, according to Richard Espinoza, chief administrative officer of post-acute services at AHS. “We believe that health care is a human right that everyone should have access to, regardless of their ability to pay for services. This recognition is a reflection of our highly skilled and compassionate team members who care for our residents like family, and our facilities that have strong and consistent processes,” Espinoza said.
Newsweek’s America’s Best Nursing Homes list, presented in collaboration with Statista, was announced on September 24th, 2025, and can be viewed on Newsweek’s website. The ranking evaluates nursing homes based on four pillars: performance indicators (staffing, quality measures, health inspections), reputation score (online survey among medical professionals), accreditations (TJC and CARF), and resident satisfaction (Google rating scores). The awards recognize winners in three categories: large (150+ beds), medium (100–149 beds), and small (50–99 beds).
The recognition highlights both the quality of care provided by AHS and the vulnerability of that care to federal funding reductions. As AHS continues to serve a primarily Medicaid-dependent population, the health system faces the challenge of maintaining excellence amid impending financial constraints.
