UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital jumps in national rankings

The University of Florida Health Shands Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s best hospitals for children in seven medical specialties, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings released today (June 10).

In its annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, U.S. News ranked the following seven UF Health pediatric programs among the nation’s best this year: diabetes and endocrinology (14th nationally), cardiology and heart surgery (27th nationally), gastroenterology (34th nationally), pulmonology (35th nationally), neonatology (36th nationally), cancer (41st nationally) and nephrology (41st nationally).

UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital was ranked higher in five of these seven pediatric specialties than last year.

“We are extremely pleased that our superb pediatric programs have been recognized with improved ratings in almost every area,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., UF senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health. “Our commitment to the UF Health Shands Children's Hospital was crystallized in our 2010 strategic plan, which emphasized expert, humanistic care to achieve the highest levels of patient quality and safety. As part of this plan, this year we opened a new pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, complementing recent projects such as our dedicated pediatric emergency department. We look forward to continuing to match the excellence of our stellar faculty and staff with state-of-the-art facilities in our children's hospital.”

In addition, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital also was the highest ranked Florida hospital for cancer and diabetes and endocrinology.

“We are delighted that the University of Florida continues to rise in national prominence as one of the premier centers where children can have their health care needs met,” said Scott Rivkees, M.D., chairman of the department of pediatrics in the UF College of Medicine. “The discoveries that come out of our department every day, the leadership roles that our faculty play at the national level and our exceptional care providers all come together to make UF Health Pediatrics and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital one of the top pediatric programs in the United States. Our amazing year-to-year progress highlights our continual commitment to provide better care for children, day after day.”

U.S. News’ Best Children’s Hospitals rankings list the top 50 hospitals in each of 10 specialties, including: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.

UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital was one of 89 hospitals across the country that U.S. News ranked in at least one of these specialties.

“The continued, year-to-year improvement of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in national rankings, such as the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals report, is a testament to our excellent team of staff, physicians and nurses,” said Mark Amox, the administrator for UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. “As our children’s hospital continues to gain momentum, we are honored to be recognized for the high-quality care we provide to our patients and families each day.”

To obtain the rankings, U.S. News & World Report collects survey information about patient data and outcomes directly from hospitals and also queries doctors to factor in each hospital’s reputation; 450 physicians from each specialty were surveyed. The reputation score counts for one-sixth of each hospital’s ranking, while care-related data and patient outcomes account for five-sixths of the score.

The full rankings and methodology are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings and will be published in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2015” guidebook, which will be available in August.