N.C. Children's Hospital is one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals"
For the fourth-year running, U.S. News and World Report has ranked N.C. Children's Hospital on its "America's Best Children's Hospitals" list. And once again, N.C. Children's Hospital is the only children's hospital in North Carolina to achieve a top 10 ranking in any of the 10 specialty areas recognized by the publication.
North Carolina Children's Hospital at UNC Hospitals has been ranked in six of 10 U.S. News Media Group's "America's Best Children's Hospitals" ranking categories, including a Top 10 ranking in pulmonology—the only top 10 ranking achieved by any children's hospital in North Carolina.
N.C. Children's Hospital ranked 10th in pulmonology, 37th in diabetes and endocrinology, 39th in gastroenterology, 43rd in cardiology and heart surgery, 44th in neonatology and 44th in orthopaedics. The complete rankings are are available online.
"This marks the fourth consecutive year N.C. Children's Hospital attained the highest ranking of any children's hospital in the state," said Alan Stiles, MD, the Children's Hospital's chief physician and chair of pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine. "We have two repeat rankings—pulmonology, in the top 10, has been ranked the past four years, and our diabetes and endocrinology made its debut in the rankings last year—but to have four additional clinical areas receive a nod as among the nation's best, we feel that’s a direct reflection of our caregivers' tireless commitment to our three-tiered mission of patient care, research and education."
The new rankings recognize the top 50 children's hospitals in 10 specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. Seventy-six hospitals are ranked in at least one specialty.
"We salute North Carolina Children's Hospital," said Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. "The goal of the Best Children's Hospitals rankings is to call attention to pediatric centers with the expertise to help the sickest kids, and North Carolina Children's Hospital is one of those centers."
Now in its fifth year, Best Children's Hospitals pulls together clinical and operational data from a lengthy survey, completed by the majority of the 177 hospitals asked to participate for the 2011-12 rankings. The survey asks hundreds of questions about survival rates, nurse staffing, subspecialist availability, and many more pieces of critical information difficult or impossible for those in charge of a child’s care to find on their own. The data from the survey is combined with recommendations from pediatric specialists on the hospitals they consider best for children with challenging problems.
Full rankings and an explanation of ranking methodology is available online.
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