June 14, 2022

In yet another monumental achievement made possible through the hard work of our One Amazing Team and your commitment to every child and family we serve, Texas Children’s has earned recognition from U.S. News & World Report as the #2 children’s hospital in the country.

In addition to Texas Children’s historic rise to #2 in the overall list, the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital survey included Top 10 spots for every subspecialty:

  • #1 in Cardiology & Heart Surgery, in a testament to the cutting-edge treatments and family-centered care provided by the Heart Center for more than 60 years
  • #1 in Pulmonology
  • #2 in Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • #3 in Nephrology (kidney disorders)
  • #3 in Neonatology
  • #4 in Cancer
  • #4 in Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
  • #5 in Diabetes & Endocrinology
  • #5 in Urology
  • #8 in Orthopedics

Texas Children’s is also ranked as the #1 children’s hospital in Texas and #1 in the Southwest Region – rounding out the national honors in what President and CEO Mark A. Wallace called a “pivotal moment that reflected everything we’ve accomplished together this year.”

“These tremendous outcomes are the result of the steadfast leadership, unwavering dedication and sincere passion you have for Texas Children’s mission,” Wallace wrote in announcing the exciting news to the organization. “Our eight in-chiefs, our five executive vice presidents, our medical and administrative leaders, and our faculty and staff are without a doubt the greatest teams in our organization’s history.”

Reaching the top of the list

U.S. News & World Report introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals ranking in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. The rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals.

They rely on clinical data from nearly 200 medical centers through a detailed survey that analyzes measures, such as patient safety, infection prevention and adequacy of nurse staffing. In addition, each hospital’s score is derived from surveys of more than 15,000 pediatric specialists who are asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty.

In 2021, only 89 children’s hospitals were ranked in at least one of the 10 pediatric specialties evaluated for the annual report. Ten hospitals ranked at the top of their class and were named to the 2022-2023 Honor Roll. For more information, visit usnews.com/childrenshospitals.

“Consistent collaboration, newfound discoveries and extraordinary patient care is what has brought us to where we are today. But we all know that for Texas Children’s, this is only the beginning of our bright future ahead,” Wallace said. “Let’s cherish and celebrate this moment – and then let’s gear up to climb even higher. I have no doubt that with this team, everything is possible!”

To read the full news release announcing Texas Children’s latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report, click here.

August 3, 2020

Aimee Martin’s two-year-old daughter Hope is extremely social. She chats up anyone she sees whether they are a stranger or a friend, and she does so at close range. Telling her to keep her distance to protect herself and others from COVID-19 is something she has a hard time comprehending to say the least.

So, when a routine trip to the ophthalmologist popped up on Amiee’s calendar, she cringed because she knew Hope’s eyes would need to be dilated and that they would have to spend at least 30 minutes in the waiting room of Texas Children’s Ophthalmology Clinic.

“Sitting in the waiting room with Hope during a pandemic or not is a train wreck,” Amiee said. “She wants to hug and talk to everyone she sees.”

To help prevent situations such as these and ease people’s anxiety about coming to the hospital during a challenging time, a handful of departments, including Ophthalmology, are offering some of their services via Patient Express, a drive-thru service at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Medical Center Campus.

Set up near the ambulance bay at Wallace Tower, patients call about five minutes before arriving for their appointment, pull up and are seen by a clinician. To ensure everyone’s safety, all patients and family members are asked a series of COVID-19 screening questions, their temperatures are taken and they are required to wear a Texas Children’s-issued mask. Texas Children’s employees participating in Patient Express are required to wear personal protective equipment including a mask, gown, gloves and facial shield.

“It’s great to be part of a project that is good for everyone,” said Ophthalmology Clinic Supervisor Veronica Gonzalez. “I feel like we are taking an extra step to make everyone feel safe – staff, patients and family members.”

Gonzalez’s team is using Patient Express to treat otherwise healthy patients who need to come in for a routine eye exam that requires dilation. Before going into the clinic for their exam, patients get their eyes dilated car side at Patient Express. By the time they park and make their way up to the clinic, it’s about time for their appointment.

Most patients are in and out of the clinic in 30 minutes. Prior to using Patient Express, they would spend an hour to an hour and a half in the facility, half of which was spent in the waiting room during the dilation process.

“Patient Express is a much better alternative,” Martin said. “I appreciate Texas Children’s coming up with the idea and for making our safety and health a priority during such challenging times.”

The drive-through or car side concept began in May when Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women opened a drive-through prenatal clinic at our Medical Center Campus to reduce the anxiety of expectant moms and to lower their risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection.

The clinic, which was recently phased out due to an increase in telemedicine and in-person visits, allowed pregnant women who do not need to be seen in the clinic to remain in their vehicles while being assessed by a health care professional. The drive-through visits included key elements of a prenatal exam such as blood pressure measurements for evaluation for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, fetal heart rate assessment, and selected ultrasound-based measurements or observations, as well as face-to-face patient-health care professional interaction.

In June, Texas Children’s Dermatology started offering drive-through service via Patient Express to patients who need basic dermatological treatments for conditions such as warts and/or molluscum. The service is being offered every two weeks and has been very successful with both patients and clinicians.

Ophthalmology offers dilating services via Patient Express daily. Pulmonology offers services every other week through Patient Express to cystic fibrosis patients who are undergoing eradication treatment for two types of bacteria they are susceptible to getting and possibly having complications from.

“There is no need to bring them on site and expose them if we don’t have to,” said Caroline Hanson, who manages the outpatient nursing team for Pulmonology. “Our parents have been very appreciative of our efforts to best care for them and their children.”

To help create a fun environment at Patient Express, Hanson said she plays kid-friendly music when appropriate and hands out stickers any time she can. She said her staff forms a special bond with their patients since they tend to come in frequently and that being able to serve them in this way has been very fulfilling.

Valdemar Garza, practice administrator for Ophthalmology, said he has been impressed with the success of the drive-through service and with the collaboration between several teams to make it happen.

“We received a lot of help from Pulmonology, Dermatology and Women’s Services to come up with our Patient Express plan,” Garza said. “I’m grateful to work for an organization that values such creativity and innovation. It goes a long way in forwarding patient care.”

Click here to watch a video of Patient Express when it began with Dermatology.

August 13, 2019

Texas Children’s Pulmonology recently celebrated a well-deserved milestone after learning they were ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report for the second straight year in a row.

On June 19, the Pulmonology team gathered in a conference room on the 10th floor of Wallace Tower to celebrate this impressive accomplishment. Pulmonology, which first debuted in the top spot in the 2016 rankings, was once again recognized as the best in the nation for children in need of pulmonary care.

“At Texas Children’s, we built our program to serve the needs of children with all types of lung disease, from common ailments to the most complex cases,” said Chief of Pulmonary Medicine Dr. Peter Hiatt. “Our unrelenting commitment to providing life-changing and life-saving treatments to children is what motivates us every day to do better and ultimately achieve the best possible patient outcomes.”

The U.S. News rankings uses a methodology that weighs a combination of patient outcomes, quality of health care, available clinical resources, such as specialized clinics, external accreditations and compliance with best practices. Improved rankings show a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing high-quality care and identifying gaps where improvements are needed.

Big wins for patients and families

Building on the successes of previously existing programs, the Pulmonology team continues to make great strides in patient care and outcomes which were recently noted in the U.S. News rankings:

  • Improved one year survival for lung transplant patients.
    Texas Children’s has one of the largest and most successful pediatric lung transplant programs in the country. The one-year lung transplant survival metric is based on data collected from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database. Based on this metric and when comparing the volume of our lung transplant patients across the country, the team has seen measurable improvements in our one-year lung transplant survival rate.
  • Improved growth percentile for cystic fibrosis patients 0 – 24 months of age.
    Along with respiratory lung problems, cystic fibrosis patients may encounter digestive problems that can lead to nutritional concerns (malnutrition) and poor growth. Attention to nutritional status and lung function in the first years of life is crucial to promoting the most favorable outcomes. Our pulmonology team improved the median weight-for-length (WFL) growth percentile in CF patients (0-24 months of age) by focusing efforts on early intervention. This included working with our CF dietitians to manage nutrition and avoid calorie and nutrient deficiencies in this patient population. Also, the team collaborated with our CF Family Advocacy group to help under-insured or uninsured families obtain supplements.
  • Reduced hospital re-admissions for patients with asthma-related symptoms
    Pulmonology develops the protocols that guide the organization on how asthma care is delivered to patients across the system. Multidisciplinary collaborations helped the organization decrease hospital re-admissions for exacerbated asthma-related symptoms. Our team collaborated with our partners at the Emergency Center and Texas Children’s Pediatric practices to manage care for chronic to high-risk asthma patients. Other efforts included educating patients about follow up care and the importance of asthma medication adherence to reduce unnecessary re-admissions.
  • Achieved below target threshold for hospital length of stay (LOS) for asthma patients
    Texas Children’s stayed under the 2-day threshold for asthma length of stay on average. Prompt administration of systemic corticosteroid in the Emergency Department (ED) setting and having a focused unit for asthma inpatient care allowed for close monitoring and weaning of therapy to allow for a timely discharge. This was a partnership with the ED and hospitalist clinicians.

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Pulmonary Medicine and our services.

June 18, 2019

The results of the 2019 U.S. News & World Report survey of Best Children’s Hospitals are in, and Texas Children’s Hospital is again among the best in the nation!

This year, Texas Children’s tied for third place among all children’s hospitals nationally, a ranking no other pediatric hospital in the state has ever achieved.

In addition, for the first time, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top 10 in each of the U.S. News & World Report-recognized pediatric sub-specialties. Six of our sub-specialties were ranked in the top 3 – two are ranked #1, two are ranked #2, and another two are ranked #3.

“We should all be very proud of this remarkable accomplishment,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace. “It is because of our One Amazing Team and each team member’s steadfast commitment to quality and excellence that we were able to reach this achievement. Thank you for your dedication to Texas Children’s Hospital and to the patients and families we serve.”

Some highlights of the 13th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings for Texas Children’s include:

  • Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery is again ranked #1 in the nation, due in part to our increasing the number of RNs in the PICU with more than two years of experience, and exceeding thresholds in four-year combined risk-adjusted operative mortality.
  • Pulmonology, which first debuted in the top spot in the 2016 rankings, is again ranked #1 in the nation. We decreased the percentage of patients readmitted to the hospital to address asthma-related symptoms, and exceeded thresholds in structure metrics, such as mean LOS for asthma patients.
  • Nephrology moved up a spot and is now ranked #2 in the nation, with a significant decrease in hemodialysis catheter associated BSI and an improvement in children younger than 5 years of age receiving hemodialysis.
  • Gastroenterology & GI surgery rose to #2 in the nation from #4, achieving successful Kasai procedures in biliary atresia patients and improving the percentage of patients experiencing prednisone-free admission.
  • Cancer is #3 in the nation, up from #6. We increased the five-year survival of patients with neuroblastoma and increased the percentage of patients who received intravenous treatment antibiotics within an hour of triage.
  • Neurology and Neurosurgery remained at #3 in the nation, showing a significant improvement in 30-day unplanned return to the operating room for craniotomy and a decrease in readmission within 30 days of surgery for Chiari decompression patients.

Our entire list of rankings includes:

#1 Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery
#1 Pulmonology
#2 Gastroenterology and GI surgery
#2 Nephrology
#3 Neurology and Neurosurgery
#3 Cancer
#6 Urology
#7 (tie) Neonatology
#8 Diabetes and Endocrinology
#10 Orthopedics

Overall, Texas Children’s exceeded nursing intensity thresholds, made significant improvement in ICU CLABSI rates and exceeded thresholds for hospital acquired pressure injuries.

U.S. News & World Report introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. The rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals.

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The rankings methodology factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices.

“The results also reflect the efforts of our team and their unwavering focus on the U.S. News survey,” Wallace said. “Compiling and refining our data is a continuous process and, with the support of our medical staff, in-chiefs, service chiefs, as well as Mark Mullarkey, Trudy Leidich, Elizabeth Pham and the entire Quality team, we have made significant strides this past year.”

This year’s rankings will be published in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2020” guidebook, available in stores mid-September or online at usnews.com/childrenshospitals. You can learn more about Texas Children’s rankings here.

September 10, 2018

Texas Children’s Hospital has been recognized as a Clinical Research Center of Excellence (COE) for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder and is one of only five pediatric institutions in the country to receive this honor.

The International Foundation for CDKL5 Research selected Texas Children’s and its academic partner Baylor College of Medicine as a Center of Excellence for its medical expertise and extensive clinical research experience in the field of Rett syndrome and Rett-related disorders including CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder.

“It’s an honor for our hospital to be chosen as a center of excellence for CDKL5 deficiency disorder research,” said Dr. Bernhard Suter, who is the director of the CDKL5 Center of Excellence at Texas Children’s. “We look forward to collaborating with other centers across the country to accelerate CDKL5 research in order to provide the best care possible for these patients.”

Once considered an atypical form of Rett syndrome due to its overlapping symptoms and similar medical needs among patients with either condition, the symptoms associated with CDKL5 deficiency disorder and its genetic cause are distinct from those of Rett syndrome. CDKL5 deficiency disorder is now considered a separate condition.

The CDKL5 gene provides instructions for making a protein that is essential for normal brain development and function. When the CDKL5 gene is mutated, patients with CDKL5 deficiency experience a variety of symptoms including difficult-to-control seizures, repetitive hand movements and severe neuro-developmental impairment. Seizures usually begin within the first three months of life, and can appear as early as the first week after birth.

As a Center of Excellence, Texas Children’s multidisciplinary CDKL5 clinic (housed in our Rett Syndrome Clinic) provides comprehensive care to patients by allowing them to see several specialists in the same clinic visit – including neurology, genetics, GI, pulmonology, physical medicine and rehabilitation – resulting in more personalized treatment plans for newly diagnosed patients.

“After an extensive search of top notch medical facilities, we found that Texas Children’s Hospital was the perfect pairing of medical expertise and research initiatives into this condition that so tragically affects those suffering with CDKL5,” said IFCR President Karen Utley, who also is a parent of a child with CDKL5. “We are proud to partner with Texas Children’s Hospital in order to improve the quality of life and to find a cure for our children.”

July 10, 2018

Texas Children’s Transplant Services has hit another milestone – the completion of 200 lung transplants and 400 heart transplants, making the program one of the highest volume pediatric heart and lung transplant centers in the nation.

The milestone continues to solidify Texas Children’s position as one of the most active pediatric transplant programs in the country, per the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

“This type of volume has only been accomplished in a handful of pediatric programs across the United States,” Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier said. “We are proud to add Texas Children’s Hospital to this distinguished list.”

Transplantation began at Texas Children’s in 1984 with a pediatric heart transplant. Since that time, liver, kidney and lung have been added and countless lives have been saved. Just last year, Texas Children’s Transplant teams performed 112 solid organ transplants, the most in the history of Texas Children’s Transplant Services.

“I’m proud to be working with a team so dedicated to providing the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. John Goss, medical director of Transplant Services. “This milestone demonstrates that Texas Children’s continues to earn its reputation as one of the best pediatric transplant programs in the country, and is a testament to the skill and commitment of our multidisciplinary team.”

Texas Children’s Transplant Services draws on numerous medical, surgical and support specialties, including transplant coordinators who play an essential role in connecting recipients with prospective donors, who ultimately made the transplant process possible.

“Without our donor families, our patients would not be given the gift that provides them a second chance at life,” said Dr. Jeff Heinle, surgical director of the Heart and Lung Transplant Program. “We can never forget to acknowledge the selfless decisions they make during the most difficult times of their lives.”

The recipients of Texas Children’s 200th lung transplant and 400th heart transplant are both doing well. Read more about their stories below as well as information about Texas Children’s Transplant Program and how to become an organ donor.

Brandon Cliff
Twelve-year-old Brandon Cliff has Cystic Fibrosis, a progressive genetic disease that causes lung infections, makes breathing difficult, and affects the pancreas, liver and other organs. The disease eventually leads to lung failure. Due to such complications, Brandon had been under consideration for a transplant for more than a year before receiving a double lung transplant on June 21. Performed by Dr. Iki Adachi, the transplant went well. Brandon was discharged from the hospital on July 3 and is ready to play with his brothers, cousins and friends as well as golf and basketball. Watch Fox 26’s news story about Brandon here.

Anacecilia Ortiz
Anacecilia Ortiz turned 14 at the beginning of July, just days after receiving her second heart transplant. The teenager got her first transplant at a children’s hospital in Colorado when she was 7 months old. Doctors there told her a transplant was necessary after finding a tumor inside her heart that was growing and could not be operated on. Over the years, Anacecilia’s body began to reject her new heart, causing it to develop scar tissue and not beat as hard as it should. A few serious dizzy spells earlier this year led Anacecilia’s physician in Brownsville to send her to Texas Children’s, where she was placed on the transplant list after trying medication. A month and a half later in mid-June, Anaceclila received her second heart transplant. Since then, she’s been doing extremely well and is currently recovering at her Pearland home.

June 26, 2018

Texas Children’s Hospital has once again been named as a national leader among pediatric institutions by U.S. News & World Report in their recently published 2018-19 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals.

Ranked fourth among all children’s hospitals nationally and one of only 10 hospitals to achieve the Honor Roll designation for the tenth straight year, Texas Children’s is the only hospital in Texas – and the entire Southern region of the U.S. – awarded this coveted distinction.

“Each year, our Texas Children’s team exhibits incredible strength and kindness, as well as passion, caring for the inspirational children and families we serve,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace. “I believe this is one reason why we continue to maintain the respect and reputation as one of the best hospitals in the nation, and the destination for pediatric care in Texas.”

In addition to ranking children’s hospitals overall, U.S. News & World Report also ranks the top 50 pediatric hospitals in 10 major sub-specialty areas. To be considered for the honor roll distinction, a hospital must have high rankings in at least three sub-specialties. For the second straight year, Texas Children’s Heart Center ranks No. 1 in the nation for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. Texas Children’s Pulmonology ranks as the best program in the country for children with lung diseases.

Texas Children’s has 8 subspecialties ranked in the top 10, and the hospital improved outcomes across all sub-specialties. There are approximately 190 children’s hospitals in the U.S. and this year, 86 of the 189 surveyed hospitals were ranked among the top 50 in at least one sub-specialty. The 2018-19 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll recognizes the 10 hospitals with the highest rankings across all sub-specialties. Here are a few highlights of this year’s rankings for Texas Children’s:

  • Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery is again no. 1 in the nation and received the top score in externally reported risk-adjusted operative mortality for congenital heart surgery.
  • Pulmonology, which first debuted in the top spot in the 2016 rankings, is now again ranked no. 1 in the nation. We received the top score in several asthma outcomes and structure metrics, such as mean LOS for asthma patients.
  • Neurology and Neurosurgery moved from no. 4 to no. 3, receiving the top score in several outcomes metrics, such as 30-day readmissions for craniotomy and Chiari decompression and complication rate for epilepsy surgical procedures.
  • Nephrology also moved from no. 4 to no. 3, with the top score in one-year kidney transplant graft survival and hemodialysis catheter-associated bloodstream infections.
  • Urology moved from no. 6 to no. 4, propelled by the top score in unplanned hospital admission for urologic issues within 30 days of surgery, as well as significant improvements in hypospadias and revision surgeries.

Texas Children’s, working closely with our academic partner Baylor College of Medicine, continues to pioneer advancements in pediatric health care and earns the U.S. News honor roll distinction by being ranked among America’s best in:

  • #1 Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery
  • #1 Pulmonology
  • #3 Neurology and Neurosurgery
  • #3 Nephrology
  • #4 Gastroenterology and GI surgery
  • #4 Urology
  • #6 Cancer
  • #6 Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • #15 Orthopedics
  • #21 Neonatology

This year’s rankings are the results of a methodology that weighs a combination of outcome and care-related measures such as nursing care, advanced technology, credentialing, outcomes, best practices, infection prevention and reputation, among others.

“From a measurement perspective, our survey results demonstrate how hard we’re working as an organization to deliver high quality care to our patients,” Wallace said. “The more consistently we deliver high quality care and the safer we deliver that care to our patients, the better their outcomes are, and the better our overall numbers are.”

Our results continue to reflect the diligent efforts of a solid structure focused on the U.S. News survey. The process of compiling and refining our data is an ongoing challenge, which will continue to improve under the excellent leadership of Trudy Leidich, Elizabeth Pham and the entire USNWR team.

The 2018-19 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals is available online at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals.