The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is named among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals for the eighth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings released this week.
Children’s Hospital achieved national rankings for 9 out of 10 pediatric specialty programs.
“I want to congratulate the faculty, staff and administration of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt again this year on their outstanding success as they continue the important mission of compassionately serving children and families from across Tennessee and surrounding states,” said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, M.D., deputy vice chancellor for Health Affairs. “That Children’s Hospital has steadily been named among the nation’s finest by U.S. News & World Report since the inception of its Best Children’s rankings eight years ago is cause for celebration.”
The 2014-2015 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric hospitals in 10 medical specialty areas. Eighty-nine hospitals, out of 183, ranked in at least one specialty. Scores are calculated using clinical data, including patient outcomes, best practices and infection prevention, as well as reputation with pediatric specialists. Children’s Hospital has been ranked every year since the rankings inception in 2007.
“We are proud to have once again received this distinguished recognition as one of the nation’s leaders in pediatric health care,” said Luke Gregory, chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital. “The rankings speak volumes about the dedication and compassion of our physicians, nurses and staff. With their hard work and our commitment to innovative research, we will continue our mission to provide the very best care and treatments to the children and families of Tennessee and surrounding states.”
Children’s Hospital continues its success as a national leader in Urology, which ranked in the No. 6 spot.
“We are proud to continue to be named an elite program and a major destination for both families who seek the very best in urologic care for their children, as well as for future generations of urologists who want to train under one the most experienced teams in the country,” said John W. Brock III, M.D., director of Pediatric Urology, surgeon-in-chief for Children’s Hospital and Monroe Carell Jr. Professor. “I am truly honored to work with such a skilled and passionate group of physicians, nurses and staff who take pride in delivering collaborative, patient-centered care every day to all children.”
Moving up in the rankings, Cancer improved from 36th to 15th in the nation, along with Cardiology & Heart Surgery, which went from the 23rd spot to 17th. Other specialties ranked this year are: Pulmonology (25); Diabetes & Endocrinology (31); Nephrology (40); Gastroenterology & GI surgery (40); Neurology & Neurosurgery (42); Neonatology (45).
“We are delighted to receive the distinction as a top provider of excellent pediatric health care. This year’s rankings highlight the tireless work and continued success of our talented teams in Cancer and Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery,” said Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, pediatrician-in-chief and James C. Overall Professor.
“Our Childhood Cancer Program offers the most promising cancer therapies and continues to discover new treatments that will change the way we care for children with all forms of cancer. At the same time, we offer a place of healing for children and their families. Our cardiology specialists and surgeons are devoted to understanding and treating the most complex heart problems, starting before birth and continuing to offer state-of-the-art care into young adulthood.”
Expanding on the quality of care and available services for all children, Children’s Hospital recently announced plans to build an additional four inpatient floors atop its existing structure. The 40,000 square foot expansion will fulfill current and growing future health care needs of all children.
“Our efforts every day illustrate a special commitment to delivery of high-quality care to all of our patients and their families. Being ranked in these areas is a wonderful honor that reflects the collaboration, dedication and innovation by all of our staff and faculty,” said Meg Rush, M.D., chief of staff and executive medical director. “As we look to our future growth, we are excited about how we will refine and advance our programs and care models to meet the needs of our regions children.”
This year’s full rankings, which include information on survival rates, adequacy of nurse staff, procedure volumes and more from the 183 pediatric hospitals, are available online at health.usnews.com/best-hospital/pediatric-rankings and will be published in August in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2015” guidebook.
