U.S. News Ranks Best Children’s Hospitals for 2018

by WebMD June 26, 2018

June 26, 2018 — For the fifth year in a row, Boston Children’s Hospital is the No. 1 children’s hospital in the U.S., according to latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

Ten hospitals earned a place on the magazine’s 2018-2019 honor roll of children’s hospitals, with a few changes from last year. Taking the No. 2 spot this year is Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, up from No. 3 in last year’s ranking, while Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia drops to No. 3 this year, down from No. 2 last year.

Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, remains in the No. 4 spot. Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, made the biggest jump, going from No. 9 to No. 5 on the honor roll.

Children’s Hospital of Colorado is a newcomer to the top 10 this year, taking the No. 9 spot from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, which dropped out of the top 10 this year. Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago dropped from No. 7 to No. 10.

Here is the complete list:

Boston Children’s Hospital Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Each year, U.S. News & World Reportranks the top 10 children’s hospitals for each of 10 specialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.

The top children’s hospitals in the 10 specialties are as follows:

Cancer: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Cardiology & heart surgery: Texas Children’s Hospital Diabetes & endocrinology: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Gastroenterology & GI surgery: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Neonatology: Children’s National Medical Center Nephrology: Boston Children’s Hospital Neurology & neurosurgery: Boston Children’s Hospital Orthopedics: Boston Children’s Hospital Pulmonology: Texas Children’s Hospital Urology: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

“Having a child who is born with or develops a serious illness is one of the most difficult situations a parent can face,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report, says in a news release.

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“Our Best Children’s Hospitals rankings are designed with parents and young patients in mind. By having access to the most comprehensive data available to supplement guidance from their pediatrician, families are able to make better-informed decisions about where to seek high-quality care for their children,” Harder says.

For this year’s rankings, U.S. News & World Report analyzed data from 189 pediatric centers, of which 86 were ranked among the top 50 in at least one specialty. RTI International, a research and consulting firm based in North Carolina, collected the data and analyzed the results with assistance from more than 100 medical directors, pediatric specialists, and other experts.

The methodology reflects:

Clinical outcomes, such as patient survival, infection rates, and complications The level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, such as staffing, technology, and special services Delivery of health care, such as programs that prevent infections and following best practices, and expert opinion among children’s specialists Medscape Medical News