U.S. News 2006 Best Hospital Ranking is Out

[Phyllis]

14 Hospitals Ranked Best in U.S.
Updated 7/10/2006 10:42:34 PM


By Miranda Hitti


July 10, 2006 -- U.S. News and World Report has published its 2006 list of America's best hospitals.

Fourteen hospitals made the magazine's honor roll, with Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md., in the top spot. Here's the list:

Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Md.)
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
The Cleveland Clinic
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
New York-Presbyterian Hospital, The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (New York City)
Duke University Medical Center (Durham, N.C.)
Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis)
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle)
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston)
University of Michigan Hospitals and Health System (Ann Arbor)
Stanford Hospital & Clinics (Stanford, Calif.)
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The list is based on various factors, including: the hospitals' reputation among board-certified physicians; quality-of-care measures such as ratio of nurses to patients; and in-hospital death rates for Medicare patients after taking into consideration the severity of the patients' illness.

Specialty Rankings

The magazine also ranked hospitals for 16 specialties. Here are the top three hospitals listed for cancer, heart and heart surgery, and pediatrics.

Cancer:

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York)
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Md.)
Heart and Heart Surgery:

The Cleveland Clinic
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Md.)
Pediatrics:

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Children's Hospital Boston
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Md.)

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SOURCE: U.S. News & World Report, "Best Hospitals 2006," July 9, 2006, online edition.

 

[Phyllis]

Here's the link to the on-line ranking: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/best-hospitals/tophosp.htm

 

[Wise]

Thanks for the link Phyllis.

 

[Der Biermeister]

Wow, mine didn't even make the top 50. Must be the food -- they sure excelled in every other aspect (IMHO of course).

 

[Lynlw]

Wow, mine didn't even make the top 50. Must be the food -- they sure excelled in every other aspect (IMHO of course).

Don't worry I don't put alot of stock in them, we were at the number #1 ranked hospital for kids and it was the worst experience of our lives, we wloved the one that never makes the list, the care was much better Lyn

 

[joanne6]

Funny, I live here in Baltimore and never considered going to Hopkins for my heart surgery. I checked out docs doing minimally invasive and Univ of MD had a great reputation. The other factor that influenced me is the safety issue. I knew my family would be leaving the hospital at night and Hopkins is in one of the worst parts of Baltimore.

 

[Jkm7]

Bless all those fine medical professionals who have given/will be giving in the not so distant future so much to all of us here on this board.

I have to admit it is a little comforting to see 'my' hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, fourth on the list.

I know I arrived there by ambulance transfer a very ill person and walked out of there smiling and under my own power!!! They have (to date) provided me with a very high quality of life as a result of their care.

I fret I may have to return for more of their 'handiwork' and if I have to, I shall.

 

[epstns]

My own "Jaundiced" view. . .

My own "Jaundiced" view. . .

I wonder if the hospitals take turns being highly ranked. It seems that there are wide variations in rankings from one year to the next. When I asked my cardio why "our" hospital was high in the Top 50 one year and not even listed the next, his reply (paraphrased) was that with the amount of effort required to complete the surveys for ranking, many of the hospitals choose not to participate in some years, while responding in others. Their feeling is that unless you can be "top dog" consistently, it is good just to be highly ranked once in a while.

So much for objective statistics. . .

 

[Wise]

I wonder if the hospitals take turns being highly ranked. It seems that there are wide variations in rankings from one year to the next. When I asked my cardio why "our" hospital was high in the Top 50 one year and not even listed the next, his reply (paraphrased) was that with the amount of effort required to complete the surveys for ranking, many of the hospitals choose not to participate in some years, while responding in others. Their feeling is that unless you can be "top dog" consistently, it is good just to be highly ranked once in a while.

So much for objective statistics. . .

I wondered about this. I remember our hospital was claiming to be a Top 100 hospital (according to what I don't know, or don't remember). But, let me assure you, that it is not. We have some good doctors in this town and some very good hospital staff, but overall it's a hospital that locals don't want to go to. In the end, if you call 911 that's where you go.

 

[Natanni]

Well, this makes me feel good considering we are at the Mayo right now as I write.... for Nathan, our daughter AND his Dad....all in one cardio dept or another

 

[MarkU]

#25 Sarasota Memorial Hospital.