U.S.News and World Report released its 2014-2015 Best Children’s Hospitals list today, and Texas Children’s Hospital maintained the no. 4 spot among the 183 children’s hospitals surveyed by the publication. Also, Texas Children’s once again is listed on the Honor Roll, which recognizes hospitals with top 10 rankings in at least three specialties.
“We are thrilled that U.S.News continually recognizes our hospital as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace. “These results are a testament to our organization’s focus on quality and safety and the dedication of our staff and employees, and it’s just another indication of what we all have known for some time: that we are doing tremendous work here at Texas Children’s.”
U.S.News annually ranks the top 50 pediatric centers in 10 specialty areas. In the 2014-15 rankings, U.S.News surveyed 183 pediatric centers to obtain clinical data in 10 specialties. Eighty-nine hospitals ranked in at least one specialty, and 10 hospitals were named to the Honor Roll below:
| Ranking | Hospital | Points | Specialties in top 10 |
| 1 | Boston Children’s Hospital | 20 | 10 |
| 1 | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | 20 | 10 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center | 15 | 9 |
| 4 | Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston | 14 | 9 |
| 5 | Children’s Hospital Los Angeles | 8 | 6 |
| 6 | Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora | 7 | 5 |
| 7 | Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC | 5 | 5 |
| 10 | Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore | 4 | 3 |
The 10 children’s hospitals on the 2014-15 Honor Roll ranked at or near the top in three or more specialties. The order is by total points. If a hospital ranked among the highest 5 percent in a specialty, it received 2 points, and if a hospital ranked in the next 5 percent, it received 1 point. Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia again tied for the top spot. Texas Children’s is separated from the no. 3 position by a single point. This year’s ranking demonstrates some significant gains among several Texas Children’s services. Here are a few highlights:
- 7 services improved in the rankings
- 9 services scored in the top 10 (compared to 6 in 2013)
- 6 services were ranked among the top 5 (compared to 3 in 2013)
“Texas Children’s results on this year’s survey reflect the diligent efforts of the steering committee we formed last year to focus on the U.S.News survey,” Wallace said. “The process of compiling and refining our data is an ongoing challenge, which will continue to improve under the excellent leadership of Angelo Giardino, Tom Luerssen, Mary Jo Andre, Terri Brown and Colleen Jones.”
Texas Children’s made these notable gains amid several changes to this year’s survey. This year, the weight of the reputational score decreased from 25 percent to 16.7 percent, and the best practices and infection prevention rate both increased in weight, from 4.2 percent to 8.3 percent. Also, two additional outcomes were scored in neonatology, and one additional outcome was scored in orthopedics and gastroenterology/GI surgery. Five-sixths of each hospital’s score relied on patient outcomes and the care-related resources each hospital makes available. The remaining one-sixth of the score is derived from a survey of 450 pediatric specialists and subspecialists in each specialty over three years. The physicians were asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty, setting aside location and expense.
Texas Children’s, working closely with academic partner Baylor College of Medicine, continues to pioneer advancements in pediatric healthcare and earns the U.S.News honor roll distinction by being ranked among America’s best in:
- #4 Cancer
- #2 Cardiology & heart surgery
- #5 Gastroenterology (digestive disorders)
- #6 Neurology & neurosurgery
- #2 Neonatology
- #4 Nephrology (kidney disorders)
- #4 Pulmonology
- #7 Urology
- #8 Diabetes & endocrinology
- #34 Orthopedics
“Our high rankings demonstrate the commitment we have to achieving quality outcomes, tracking those outcomes and using them to markedly improve the care we deliver,” said Texas Children’s Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr.
This year’s methodology reflects a number of improvements that better differentiate hospitals based on outcomes, best practices and infection prevention. Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark W. Kline said the results are a reflection of the work of a gifted, dedicated staff.
“Texas Children’s has more pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists than any other hospital in the world,” Kline said. “But more importantly, we have many of the world’s most talented and dedicated physicians, educators, scientists, nurses and other health professionals, and working together, our team is driving innovation and advancement in pediatric health care. I’m proud of their commitment.”
The 2014-15 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals is available online at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals.