June 16, 2020

The 2020 U.S. News & World Report survey of Best Children’s Hospitals was released this morning and Texas Children’s is again one of the best in the nation. I am excited to share with you that Texas Children’s ranked fourth place among all children’s hospitals nationally.

Seven of Texas Children’s specialties are ranked in the top 5 this year, and 9 are in the top 10. Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery ranked No. 1 in the nation for the fourth straight year in a row, and Neurology and Neurosurgery moved up from No. 3 to No. 2, which is an amazing feat.

The scores this year were exceptionally tight among the top children’s hospitals, and here are a few highlights of this year’s biggest wins across the system:

  • We received maximum scores for all system-wide structure and process metrics.
  • We achieved maximum points for our collaborative efforts on infection prevention.
  • We exceeded our T-dap and flu immunization compliance threshold, which was increased to 95 percent.
  • We exceeded the new threshold for number of infection preventionists per 100 beds.

Dr. Jim Versalovic and Dr. Larry Hollier have demonstrated exceptional leadership over their departments, and all of our chiefs of service have worked tirelessly to ensure their respective specialties excelled in this year’s rankings — Dr. Paul Austin, Dr. Susan Blaney, Dr. Michael Braun, Dr. Christopher Caldarone, Dr. Gary Clark, Dr. Peter Hiatt, Dr. Daniel Penny, Dr. Benjamin Shneider, Dr. Brian Smith, Dr. Rona Sonabend, Dr. Gautham Suresh and Dr. Howard Weiner. Please join me in thanking our medical leaders for their hard work and dedication.

Our entire list of 2020 U.S. News rankings include:

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

The rankings methodology weighs advanced technology, best practices, credentialing, infection prevention, nursing care, outcomes and reputation. 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.

The results also reflect the efforts of our team and their steadfast focus on the U.S. News survey. 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 again excelled this year.

I hope you are all as proud as I am of this remarkable accomplishment. These results, combined with the resiliency you have all shown over these past few months, exemplify why Texas Children’s is the best pediatric hospital in Texas. Thank you for your commitment and leadership. It takes all of you to be ranked one of the nation’s best.

This year’s rankings will be available online at usnews.com/childrenshospitals. You can learn more about Texas Children’s rankings here.

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.

Staff with Texas Children’s Heart Center and Texas Children’s Pulmonology celebrated Tuesday after learning they were ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report in their respective specialties.

Heart Center staff gathered in a conference room on the fourth floor of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women to learn their ranking and cheered in delight when they found out they remained No. 1 in the nation in cardiology and congenital heart surgery.

“The Texas Children’s Heart Center team displays an unparalleled commitment to our patients each and every day through the exemplary care we provide from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up,” said Dr. Daniel Penny, chief of pediatric cardiology. “We are honored to once again be recognized as the best place for children with heart diseases to receive care.”

In a conference room on the 10th floor of Wallace Tower, the Pulmonology team gathered to laud their well-deserved milestone. Pulmonology, which first debuted in the top spot in the 2016 rankings, is now once again ranked No. 1 in the nation.

“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, and we have become the best program for children in need of pulmonary care,” said Dr. Peter Hiatt, chief of pulmonary medicine. “Our relenting commitment to providing life-changing and life-saving treatments to children is what motivates us every day.”

Click here for more information about the Heart Center and here to learn more about our pulmonology program.