The U.S. News and World Report has released its 2013-2014 rankings of the best children’s hospitals in the country. They surveyed a total of 179 pediatric centers — 110 of which returned enough data to be included in the survey — and 87 hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty. The rankings for children’s hospitals began in 2007 and include the 50 best-performing hospitals in 10 different categories: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. The hospitals were judged on clinical outcomes, efficiency and coordination of care delivery, and care-related resources. These rankings are exceptionally thorough, so head over to the U.S. News site in order to get a full play-by-play on the behind-the-scenes action of their creation.
Of course, nobody wants to even consider the though of their child getting sick, let alone contracted a disease serious enough that they might consult this list in the hopes of saving a life. Nonetheless, it’s important to be familiar with these hospitals, so we’ve provided the simplest form of the rankings here:
Cancer
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Boston, MA
Diabetes & Endocrinology
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Neonatology
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Nephrology
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Neurology & Neurosurgery
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Orthopedics
Children’s Medical Center Dallas-Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
Dallas, TX
Pulmonology
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Urology
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Again, don’t forget to check out the full rankings under each category or the Honor Roll (the “ten hospitals that had high scores in at least three specialties”). And it’s probably safe to say that if you live in Boston, you’re in good hands.