Being sick is awful. Being sick enough to be in the hospital is even worse. It's uncomfortable and it can be scary. But, when you know you're being given the best possible care, some of that fear can be alleviated. With that goal in mind, we've compiled a list of the best hospitals in Maine. Hopefully you will never need it but, if necessary, this list will help if you or a loved one become sick.

These rankings of the best hospitals in Maine are based on information culled from the Health Grove website. We've created this ranking based on their "State Rating" score, which takes information from hospital quality measures, expert reviews and rankings, Medicare performance scores, overall number of cases, and outcome statistics. When a choice exists, always research a hospital based on your own important factors before moving forward.

1. Maine Medical Center, Portland

Acute care hospital, Maine Medical Center, has a #1 State Ranking and has a 90% Smart Rating based on other factors. You can see that it's one of the top hospitals in Maine. They see 3,377 cases a year. 77% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #1 of the three highest rated hospitals in Cumberland County.

Read more about Maine Medical Center.

2. Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor

Acute care hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center, has a #2 State Ranking and has an 89% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 2,012 cases a year. 71% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #1 of the three highest rated hospitals in Penobscot County.

Learn more about Eastern Maine Medical Center.

3. Mercy Hospital, Portland

Acute care hospital, Mercy Hospital, has a #3 State Ranking and has an 88% Smart Rating based on other factors. It's one of the best hospitals in Portland, Maine. They see 740 cases a year. Their Smart Rating puts them at #2 of the three highest rated hospitals in Cumberland County.

Check out more about Mercy Hospital.

4. Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Ellsworth

Acute care hospital, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, has a #4 State Ranking and an 81% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 317 cases a year. 78% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #1 of the three highest rated hospitals in Hancock County.

Find out more about Maine Coast Memorial Hospital.

5. York Hospital, York

Acute care hospital, York Hospital, has a #5 State Ranking and has an 87% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 420 cases a year. 84% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #1 of the three highest rated hospitals in York County.

Read more about York Hospital.

6. Miles Memorial Hospital, Damariscotta

Acute care hospital, Mile Memorial Hospital, has a #6 State Ranking and has a 71% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 172 cases a year. 80% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others.

Learn more about Miles Memorial Hospital.

7. Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, Presque Isle

Acute care hospital Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, formerly known as Aroostook Medical Center, has a #7 State Ranking and has an 71% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 307 cases a year. Only 64% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #2 of the three highest rated hospitals in Aroostook County.

Find out more about Northern Light AR Gould Hospital.

8. Inland Hospital, Waterville

Acute care hospital Inland Hospital, has a #8 State Ranking and has an 72% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 205 cases a year. 79% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others.

Check out more about Inland Hospital.

9. St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor

Acute care hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, has a #9 State Ranking and has an 87% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 726 cases a year. 86% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #2 of the three highest rated hospitals in Penobscot County.

Read more about St. Joseph Hospital.

10. Cary Medical Center, Caribou

Finishing up our list of the best hospitals in Maine is Cary Medical Center. An acute care hospital, it has a #10 State Ranking and has an 88% Smart Rating based on other factors. They see 237 cases a year. 78% of patients surveyed said that they would definitely recommend this hospital to others. Their Smart Rating puts them at #1 of the three highest rated hospitals in Aroostook County.

Learn more about Cary Medical Center.

Other Maine hospitals with high Smart Ratings include: St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston (88%), Maine General Medical Center in Augusta (87%), Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston (82%) and Mid Coast Hospital (81%).

Mainers, stay safe and share this information with the people you love.