U.S. News & World Report has recognized VCU Medical Center as the No. 1 hospital in the Richmond metro area now for 10 years in a row.
In its newly published 2020-21 “Best Hospitals” ranking, VCU Medical Center also ranks as the No. 2 hospital in Virginia, and among the top 50 in the country for cardiology, heart surgery and urology.
“Being recognized as the No. 1 health care provider in Richmond so many times is a tribute to the incredible work of our team members. It recognizes both our medical expertise as well as our unwavering commitment to advancing the health of all we serve — and doing so with the compassion and kindness so wonderfully demonstrated throughout this pandemic,” said Peter Buckley, M.D., interim CEO of VCU Health System and senior vice president for health sciences at VCU.
“This recognition builds upon our prior accolades in quality care and reminds us all of the critically important work we do as the region’s largest safety-net provider, and what access to this exemplary level of care means for the communities we serve,” Buckley said.
Complex specialty care for heart and urology patients among the best in the country
For the 2020-21 ranking, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide and ranked 134 of them in one or more specialty areas. VCU Medical Center ranked No. 44 for cardiology and heart surgery, and tied at No. 46 for urology. The report evaluates hospital performance in 16 specialty areas. Rankings rely on clinical data and an annual survey of board-certified physicians. The rankings methodology factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices.
“This ranking is an honor. It reflects the dedication of our team members and the quality of clinical care, education and research that take place at VCU Medical Center,” said Ron Clark, M.D., interim CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics. “As a premier academic health center in the country, our clinical care, highly-specialized procedures and innovative research attract patients from across the Commonwealth and even outside of the U.S.”
VCU Medical Center was also identified as high performing in gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, nephrology and orthopedics for 2020-21. U.S. News designates “high-performing” specialty areas as specialty areas ranked just outside the top 50.
High ratings for common procedures and conditions, such as heart failure, lung cancer surgery
In addition to the Best Hospitals specialty rankings for evaluating hospitals that excel “in treating complex, high-acuity cases,” U.S. News also publishes annual procedures and conditions ratings. For 2020-21, VCU Medical Center was rated “high performing” in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure, and for its colon cancer and lung cancer surgeries.
Hospitals were rated as high performing, average or below average relative to other rated hospitals in treating patients 65 and older. According to the magazine, rating individual procedures and conditions may give patients an understanding of “how well hospitals perform in each procedure or condition and not just with the most difficult cases, (…) but with the full range of patients.”
Recognition as teaching hospital and for top pediatric care
In the 2020-21 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) ranked among the nation’s top 50 children’s hospitals. The hospital was recognized for excellence in urology, pulmonology, nephrology and cancer.
Earlier this year, Becker’s Healthcare placed VCU Medical Center on its 2020 list of the 100 Great Hospitals in America. The Lown Hospitals Index, a new ranking that considers civic leadership and value of care in addition to patient outcomes, named VCU Medical Center one of the Top 50 Major Teaching Hospitals in America for 2020.
Share
AFP
