UCSD Medical Center Programs Rank Among The Nation's Best

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center is the only San Diego hospital that ranks among the best in the nation in six specialty areas in the 2007 U.S. News and World Report annual "Best Hospitals" issue. The magazine, which ranks the top 50 hospitals in several different specialties, will be on the newsstands Monday, July 16.

In the 2007 report, UCSD Medical Center is ranked:

• 8^th in Respiratory Diseases
• 18^th in Rheumatology
• 30^th in Kidney Disease
• 30^th in Gynecology
• 39^th in Cancer
• 50^th in Ear, Nose, Throat

"As the region's only university-based medical center, we are proud of the advanced care backed up by leading edge research that UCSD Medical Center provides patients. These rankings are a reflection of the high caliber of our physicians, staff and programs, and of our commitment to providing the best care available," said UCSD Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences David Brenner.

"UCSD Medical Center serves 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 of our specialty services demonstrates the importance of 'academic medicine' in developing and delivering state-of-the-art health care."

Only 176 hospitals nationally are listed in this year's issue, which rates hospitals in 16 different specialties.

In this year's "Best Graduate Schools" edition (released March 31), U.S. News ranked the UCSD School of Medicine 5^th in the nation among public medical schools (14^th among all U.S. medical schools), with its AIDS program ranked 6^th, and Drug and Alcohol Abuse ranked 10^th.

In addition to its two 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 UCSD Moores Cancer Center is the region's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University will break ground on the Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center adjacent to the Thornton Hospital this fall.

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Media Contact: Alma Fisher, 619-543-6163, alfisher@ucsd.edu