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U.S. News Ranks Cincinnati Children’s Among Top Three U.S. Children’s Hospitals

Friday, May 30, 2008

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center the third best children’s hospital in the United States in general pediatrics in the 2008 edition of its annual "America’s Best Children’s Hospitals" rankings. The ranking is the highest Cincinnati Children’s has ever received from U.S. News.

"This is a huge accomplishment for which we owe a great debt of thanks to the thousands of employees who helped get us there," says James M. Anderson, president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s. "This ranking is a clear demonstration of their hard work and commitment to change the outcome for the children we serve."

Using a new methodology this year, U.S. News discontinued its ranking of the "top 30 pediatric hospitals" overall and added the category of "top 30 in general pediatrics" – a category in which hospitals are ranked by measures that are appropriate to pediatric care in general. In addition, U.S. News ranked for the first time the best children’s hospitals for specialty care such as cancer, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery, neonatal, neurology and neurosurgery, and respiratory disorders. Cincinnati Children’s ranked in the top 20 in all of these specialties: #3 in digestive diseases, #3 in respiratory diseases, #4 in cancer, #6 in neonatal care and #8 in heart and heart surgery and #17 in neurology and neurosurgery.

"Very sick kids need very special care," said U.S. News Senior Writer Avery Comarow, who has been editor of the America’s Best Hospitals and America’s Best Children’s Hospitals annual rankings since their inception. "The best places for them are pediatric facilities with a deep pool of expertise in their particular illness. Breaking out key specialties is crucial to help parents and other caregivers find these facilities."

Cincinnati Children’s continues to enhance its reputation as a national and international referral center for complex cases. This is occurring through the ongoing development and expansion of niche medical services that allow patients with the most difficult-to-treat diseases and conditions to receive the latest in advanced care. The medical center has also received national recognition for its introduction of quality improvement initiatives within patient care programs. These initiatives are resulting in improved treatment and patient outcomes with the added advantage of enhanced cost effectiveness – a major concern in today’s health care industry.

The specialty rankings of this year’s America’s Best Children’s Hospitals were based on a new and improved methodology that weighed a three-part blend of reputation, outcome, and care-related measures such as nursing care, advanced technology, credentialing, and other factors. A detailed description of the methodology can be found online at www.usnews.com/pediatrics.

Until last year, U.S. News based its ranking solely on reputation. But in 2007, U.S. News used a new methodology to rank children’s hospitals, adding care-related factors and recognition by outside organizations. Last year Cincinnati Children’s ranked as the 7^th best children’s hospital in the nation. In each of the previous two years, Cincinnati Children’s was ranked as the 8^th best children’s hospital in the United States.

Facilities eligible for ranking were largely drawn from members of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) in either of two categories – a freestanding children’s hospital or a children’s "hospital within a hospital" (a large, multidisciplinary pediatric service within a medical center). In addition, several non-NACHRI members were added because of known expertise or at the recommendation of experts.

Of the 143 children’s hospitals invited to complete a survey asking for information as detailed as whether a center offers postgraduate fellowships in pediatric cardiology, 113 responded. The survey was constructed by RTI International, which collects the data and oversees the methodology behind the adult Best Hospitals rankings.

In addition to being published online, the rankings will be in the magazine’s June 9 issue, on newsstands June 2.