UCSD Medical Center Programs Rank Among the Nation's Best

The July 17 U.S. News and World Report’s annual "Best Hospitals" issue ranks University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center among the best in the nation in seven specialty areas, with several areas climbing from last year’s rankings.

The magazine, which rates the top 50 hospitals in several different specialties, will be on the stands July 10.

In the 2006 report, UCSD Medical Center is ranked

• 5^th in Respiratory Diseases (7th last year)
• 17^th in Rheumatology (22nd last year)
• 24^th in Kidney Disease (30th last year)
• 32^nd in Gynecology
• 33^rd in Cancer (39th last year)
• 33^rd in Endocrinology
• 36^th in Urology

"As the region’s only university health system, we are extremely proud of the advanced care UCSD Medical Center provides our region. The U.S. News and World Report ‘Best Hospitals’ rankings validate the high caliber of our superb physicians, staff and programs," said UCSD Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Edward Holmes.

"UCSD Medical Center is committed to serving the community with excellent care, leading edge research and education," said Richard Liekweg, Chief Executive Officer, UCSD Medical Center-Hillcrest and the UCSD Thornton Hospital. "This national recognition is especially gratifying as it demonstrates that we are delivering on that promise in a broad spectrum of specialties."

In this year’s "Best Graduate Schools" edition (released March 31), U.S. News ranked the UCSD School of Medicine 5th in the nation among public medical schools (14th among all U.S. medical schools), with its AIDS program ranked 6th, and Drug and Alcohol Abuse ranked 8th.

In addition to its hospitals, UCSD provides primary and specialty ambulatory care at outpatient centers in Hillcrest, La Jolla, and Scripps Ranch, and ophthalmology services at the Shiley Eye Center in La Jolla. The new UCSD Moores Cancer Center is the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and planning is underway for the new Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center adjacent to the Thornton Hospital.

Only 176 hospitals nationally are listed in this year’s issue, which rates hospitals in 16 different specialties. Scripps Hospital in La Jolla was also ranked, in the categories of heart/heart surgery and endocrinology.

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Media Contact:

Leslie Franz, 619-543-6163, lfranz@ucsd.edu

UCSD Health Sciences Communications HealthBeat: News