US News & World Report ranks hospital in 5 categories
UC San Diego Medical Center – where discoveries are delivered everyday – has once again delivered in the category of “top hospitals,” as ranked by U.S. News & World Report’s latest “America’s Best Hospitals” issue.
UC San Diego Medical Center is recognized among the nation’s best in five categories: Diabetes, Geriatrics, Orthopedics, Psychiatry and Pulmonology, in the 2010 – 2011 issue of “Best Hospitals,” online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and featured in the August issue of U.S.News & World Report, available on newsstands July 27.
This year’s issue includes rankings of 152 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties. UC San Diego Medical Center is one of only 50 hospitals ranked in five or more specialties.
“As the region’s only academic medical center, we strive to be among the best, not only in our community, but nationally and worldwide,” said David Brenner, MD, vice chancellor for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UC San Diego. “This ranking is an honor and evidence of our diligent, devoted efforts to bring together the best of research and health care.”
“I am very proud of the excellent work done by our dedicated faculty and staff within UC San Diego Health System, employees who bring great caring and intellect to their pursuits each and every day,” said Tom Jackiewicz, CEO, UC San Diego Health System. “This is further proof that the UC San Diego Health System is consistently raising the bar and elevating health care for the entire San Diego region.”
With more than two decades of experience, this multi-platform “America's Best Hospitals” guide is the most extensive hospital ranking to-date. “When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for yourself or someone close to you,” said Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. “These hospitals are accustomed to seeing the sickest patients day in and day out.”
UC San Diego Health System includes two hospitals and multiple primary and specialty care outpatient centers in Hillcrest, La Jolla and Scripps Ranch. The Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center, on the La Jolla campus, is scheduled to open early next year and the 10-story, multi-specialty Jacobs Medical Center will break ground in March of 2012.
By the Numbers:
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Overall rankings: The 16 specialties ranked by US News & World Report are cancer; diabetes and endocrinology; ear, nose, and throat; gastroenterology; geriatrics; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; pulmonology; rehabilitation; rheumatology; and urology. UC San Diego Medical Center rankings include:
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Pulmonology (11)
- Psychiatry (21)
- Diabetes & Endocrinology (22)
- Orthopedics (45)
- Geriatrics (46)
- In San Diego: UC San Diego Medical Center is one of only two hospitals ranked.
- In Southern California: UC San Diego is one of only nine ranked hospitals/health systems and, apart from facilities located in LA County, UC San Diego Medical Center is ranked in more specialties than any other hospital.
- In California: UC San Diego is one of only 14 ranked hospitals/systems.
- Nationally: UC San Diego Medical Center is one of only 50 hospitals ranked in five or more specialties.
Methodology
The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties were driven by hard data such as death rates, procedure volume, and balance of nurses and patients. In the four remaining specialties –ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology – hospitals were ranked on reputation alone.
To be considered in any of the 12 data-driven specialties, a hospital first had to meet at least one of four criteria: It had to be a teaching hospital, or be affiliated with a medical school, or have at least 200 beds, or have 100 or more beds and the availability of four or more types of medical technology considered important in a high-quality medical facility, such as a PET/CT scanner and certain precision radiation therapies.
Next, the hospitals had to meet a volume requirement, individually calculated for each specialty. The required volume was the number of Medicare inpatients from 2006 to 2008 who had various specified procedures and conditions in the specialty. A hospital that fell short could still qualify if it had been nominated by at least one physician in any of the U.S. News Best Hospitals reputational surveys conducted in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
To learn more about UC San Diego Medical Center’s rankings, please visit: http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/university-of-california-san-diego-medical-center-6932820
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Media Contacts: Jackie Carr, jcarr@ucsd.edu, 619-543-6163
Kim Edwards, kedwards@ucsd.edu, 619-543-6163