UW News

July 12, 2002

UW Medical Center ranked 11th among nation’s Best Hospitals

University of Washington Medical Center moved up one place in its ranking among the top hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2002 annual guide to “America’s Best Hospitals,” which was updated in its July 22 issue, available July 15.

UW Medical Center was ranked 11th in the nation among the 1,958 major medical centers considered in this year’s survey, tied with New York Presbyterian Hospital. It is the only hospital west of Rochester, Minn., and north of San Francisco to achieve an “honor roll” ranking. Last year, UWMC was ranked 12th. UW Medical Center has been consistently ranked among the top hospitals nationally by U.S. News since 1993.

In specialty rankings, UW Medical Center ranked among the top 10 hospitals nationwide in rehabilitation (3rd). It received rankings in the top 20 in several additional specialties: hormone disorders (11th); orthopaedics (11th); ear, nose and throat (12th); geriatrics (12th); respiratory disorders (13th); cancer (16th); and kidney disease (16th).

Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, which is closely affiliated with the UW School of Medicine, ranked 18th in pediatrics.

Harborview Medical Center, which is owned by King County and operated by the University of Washington, ranked 12th in orthopaedics.

“We are pleased to have University of Washington Medical Center again honored as one of the best hospitals in the nation,” said Kathleen Sellick, UWMC executive director. “I am very proud of our faculty, nurses and staff and the way they are making a difference every day for our patients.”

“All of us at UWMC are dedicated to one central mission — to care for patients,” said Dr. Eric Larson, UWMC medical director. “This national recognition attests to the exceptional commitment to high-quality care, and outstanding professionalism and skill that exists at UWMC.”

For 13 of the 17 specialties ranked, U.S. News, in conjunction with the National Opinion Research Center, evaluated hospitals using a mathematical model combining reputation among board-certified specialists, death rate statistics, and other medical data such as the various medical technologies available.

In the other four specialties — ophthalmology, pediatrics, psychiatry and rehabilitation — rankings were based on a reputational survey of physicians.

Besides UW Medical Center, U.S. News’ Honor Roll of the nation’s best hospitals includes Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, UCLA Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University Hospital, University of Chicago Hospitals, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinic in Nashville.

For more information on the rankings, go to www.usnews.com

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