The U.S. News and World Report just released its picks for the best children’s hospitals in the country, and Boston’s Children’s Hospital was named the best pediatric hospital in the United States for the fifth year in a row. This marked the 28th edition of the “Best Hospitals” list.
Among some of the other picks, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis was ranked No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital, the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. was ranked No. 1 pediatric neonatology hospital, while the Texas Children’s Hospital was ranked as the first pediatric cardiology & heart surgery hospital.
The rankings are determined by compiling data from surveys sent to hospitals and pediatric doctors across the U.S. The publication compared over 5,000 medical centers nationwide in 25 specialties, conditions, and procedures.
Boston Children’s Hospital was named the best children’s hospital for the fifth consecutive year
Boston Children’s Hospitals has received the recognition for five years in a row, and it was also ranked No. 1 in five of the ten specialties: gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, nephrology, and urology.
“It is certainly an honor to be named the number one pediatric hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report,” Sandra L. Fenwick, president of Boston Children’s Hospital, said in a statement, according to the Boston Globe. “This continued recognition speaks to the dedication of our entire staff.”
The children’s hospital was also ranked as second best in cardiology, neonatology, pediatric diabetes, pediatric cancer, and third best for its pulmonology care. Fenwick said in the statement that it is their mission to provide the best experience and outcome possible to every family that walks through their doors.
The U.S. News & World Report named the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the second pediatric health center in the country, while the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center was ranked third in that list.
St. Jude executives were thrilled to be ranked the best hospital in pediatric cancer
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital officials also shared their excitement to be ranked as the leading hospital in pediatric cancer.
“We are honored to know what U.S. News & World Report recognizes our commitment to integrate unsurpassed clinical care and innovative research to find cures and save children with cancer,” said Dr. James R. Downing, St Jude president and chief executive officer, according to PR Newswire.
Downing added that the recognition is an outstanding external acknowledgment for their institution, but more importantly for the dedicated St. Jude faculty and staff who devote their time, talent and energy to the patients they care for every day.
The rankings were based on objective measures such as clinical outcomes, patient volume, infection control, adequacy of nurse staffing, coordination and efficiency of care delivery, and compliance with best practices. According to PR Newswire, hospitals’ pediatric cancer scores were based on certain measures of clinical care, with 85 percent of every hospital’s score coming from data gathered through a detailed U.S. News clinical survey of pediatric hospitals. The remaining 15 percent included nominations from pediatric specialists who answered to surveys and recommended the hospitals for severe cases in their specialty.
St. Jude received an overall score of 100 out of 100 possible, and earned excellent ratings for several measures, including five-year cancer survival, ability to prevent infections throughout the facilities and in the ICU, commitment to clinical research, help for families, availability of specialized clinics and programs available, and providing advanced palliative care, to name some.
“Recognition as the No. 1 hospital for children with cancer is a testament especially to our clinical staff, who won’t stop their lifesaving research and care until no child dies from cancer,” said Dr. Ellis Neufeld, St. Jude clinical director, physician-in-chief and executive vice president, according to PR Newswire. “As we work to set the standard for pediatric cancer care, recognition such as this reaffirms that our focus and efforts are in the right place. St. Jude is truly unique.”
U.S. News & World Report also ranked the best hospitals for adults
According to U.S. News & World Report, more than 3,000 physicians responded to the survey this year, in which they listed up to 10 hospitals they considered best in their specialty for children. Their responses were also combined with those from similar surveys conducted between 2015 and 2016.
Some of the other hospitals included in the “Best Hospitals” list this year were the John Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
The publication also listed the best hospitals for adults, as well as the best hospitals by specialty. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ranked No. 1 for cancer; the Cleveland Clinic topped the list for cardiology & heart surgery; Mayo Clinic was first in diabetes & endocrinology, while the Massachusetts General Hospital ranked No. 1 in psychiatry. The complete list and rankings are available in the U.S. News & World Report website.
Source: U.S. News & World Report