U.S. News ranks UVA No. 1 hospital in Virginia

U.S. News and World Report’s 2016-2017 “Best Hospitals” guide has recognized eight University of Virginia Health System specialties and ranked UVA as the No. 1 hospital in Virginia.

Three UVA specialties were ranked among the top 50 in the U.S.:

• Cancer – 31^st
• Urology – tied for 43^rd
• Nephrology – tied for 46^th

Only approximately 3 percent of U.S. hospitals have a ranked specialty.

Five additional specialties were honored as “high performing,” placing them among the top 10 percent of their respective specialties:

• Cardiology & heart surgery
• Diabetes & endocrinology
• Neurology & neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology

This year’s guide also includes hospital ratings for nine common conditions or procedures based on care received by patients ages 65 or older. UVA is rated as “high performing” – the best possible rating – for all nine: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, colon cancer surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery.

“We are pleased to see these ratings highlight the dedication of all of our team members to enhance the quality of care we provide our patients,” said Richard P. Shannon, MD, executive vice president for health affairs at UVA.

The ratings and rankings compiled by U.S. News take several factors into account, including patient safety, patient outcomes, the availability of advanced technologies and programs, a survey of physician specialists, how many patients receive care and accreditations from certain third-party organizations such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Magnet recognition for nursing care from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. UVA is an NCI-designated cancer center and earned Magnet recognition in 2015.

These honors for UVA follow recognition from U.S. News for UVA Children’s Hospital, which has four specialties – urology, cardiology/heart surgery, neonatology and nephrology – recognized in the 2016-2017 “Best Children’s Hospital” guide.