Seven medical specialties at the University of Virginia Health System are ranked in the 19 th annual survey of “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report . The listings appear in the magazine’s July 14 issue and can be found online at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm .
UVA specialties ranked in this year’s guide from U.S News are: endocrinology (7); ear, nose, & throat (23); digestive disorders (26); neurology/neurosurgery (33); cancer (36); respiratory disorders (37) and gynecology (43). UVA’s endocrinology (hormonal disorders) program has consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top programs by U.S. News since the 1990s, while UVA’s otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) program returned to the list this year.
“We are once again very pleased that the work of all UVA Health System faculty and staff has been recognized by our colleagues across the nation and by the measures of excellence used by U.S. News in its assessment. Importantly, this recognition reflects the clinical services and excellent care provided to our patients and to the Commonwealth,” said R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of the UVA Medical Center. “The communities we serve rely on UVA to provide innovative, cutting-edge medical care in a patient-friendly environment and we are always striving to meet their needs,” added Howell.
According to U.S. News , out of 5,453 hospitals studied, only 3 percent, 170 in all, are ranked in one or more of the 16 specialties in this year’s “America’s Best Hospitals.” Ranked hospitals tend to offer more advanced treatments, use new research in patient care and conduct more research that gives critically ill patients better options in their treatment.
Most ranked institutions follow, and pioneer, new treatment guidelines, according to the U.S. News website. They also conduct bench-to-bedside research and exploit the latest advances in imaging, surgical devices, and other technologies.
