UW Medical Center 13th on U.S. News’ Honor Roll of best hospitals in nation

UW Medical Center is again ranked among the top hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2000 annual guide to “America’s Best Hospitals,” available on newsstands this week.

UW Medical Center was ranked 13th in the nation among the 1,701 major medical centers (including approximately 300 teaching hospitals) considered in this year’s survey. It is the only hospital west of Rochester, Minn., and north of San Francisco to achieve an honor roll ranking. [Editor’s note: The printed version of the magazine lists UWMC in 14th place, due to an error. Some specialty rankings also were in error and will be corrected in the next issue.]

UW Medical Center ranked among the top 10 hospitals nationwide in rehabilitation (2nd) and orthopedics (8th). It received top rankings in several additional specialties: geriatrics (11th); cancer (11th); ear, nose and throat (14th); urology (17th); kidney disease (18th); digestive disorders (21st); heart (21st); neurology and neurosurgery (22nd); gynecology (28th); and rheumatology (43rd).

Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, which is closely affiliated with the UW School of Medicine, ranked 16th in pediatrics.

Harborview Medical Center, which is owned by King County and operated by the University of Washington, ranked 7th in orthopedics.

“It is rewarding to see University of Washington Medical Center again distinguished as one of the most outstanding hospitals in the nation,” said Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, UW vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “This recognition honors the continued commitment to high-quality patient care offered by our faculty and staff at University of Washington Medical Center, as well as at Harborview Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.”

For 12 of the 16 specialties ranked, U.S. News, in conjunction with the National Opinion Research Center, evaluated hospitals using a mathematical model combining reputation among board-certified specialists, death rate statistics, and other medical data such as the various medical technologies available.

In the other four specialties - ophthalmology, pediatrics, psychology and rehabilitation - rankings were made based on a reputational survey of physicians.

Besides UW Medical Center, U.S. News’ Honor Roll of the nation’s best hospitals includes Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, UCLA Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, Stanford University Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical Center, University of Chicago Hospitals, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Walter Neary