Two UVA Children’s Hospital specialties honored

Two UVA Children’s Hospital specialties – neonatology and urology – are nationally ranked in the 2014-2015 U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” guide.

Urology is ranked 37th nationally, while neonatology is ranked 43rd. Across the U.S., 89 children’s hospitals had at least one nationally ranked specialty.

U.S. News based its children’s hospital rankings on several criteria, including patient safety and patient outcomes; the availability of specialized clinics and programs; staffing levels; advanced technology; certifications by certain outside groups; and a national survey of pediatric specialists.

“Having our programs ranked tells the region and the country that our institution stands toe-to-toe with the best in the land,” said James P. Nataro, MD, PhD, MBA, chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “In recent years we have made a renewed commitment to ensuring that the quality of the care we provide is top notch, and this is an effort from which we will never falter.”

Leaders of the pediatric urology and neonatology programs credited these national honors to the work of their teams of pediatric specialists.

“This recognition is a product of our commitment to excellence with the underlying principle to provide patient-centered care focused on safety, outcomes, access and patient and family satisfaction,” said Tony Herndon, MD, division director of pediatric urology. “It is an honor to work with such a highly motivated and committed group at UVA, which includes the support of Dr. William Steers and the entire Department of Urology.”

“Our neonatology program uses evidence-based practices to care for our patients, performs ongoing evaluation of our patient and family services to ensure our families have the support they need and fosters multidisciplinary approaches to care through our close-knit team of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit providers,” said Robert A. Sinkin, MD, MPH, division director of neonatology.

The national honors come as UVA prepares this month to open the Battle Building at UVA Children’s Hospital, which will consolidate all outpatient pediatric care in a single location.

“We are excited to enhance the excellent care already provided by our UVA Children’s Hospital team by opening the Battle Building,” said R. Edward Howell, vice president and CEO of UVA Medical Center. “This new facility will make it easier and more convenient for children and families to get the care they need at a place designed to put children at ease and promote healing.”

More information on the rankings is available at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings.