Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest

According to the most recent US News and World Report Children's Hospital Rankings for 2014-2015, there were 89 hospitals that earned a national ranking in at least one of ten pediatric specialties covered in the survey.  Although eight pediatric hospitals based in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) earned at least one national ranking in a pediatric specialty, only one - Texas Children's Hospital (map) in Houston - landed on the US News Best Children's Hospital Honor Roll.  The Honor Roll recognized the 10 highest ranked children's hospitals in the United States.  Ranked 4th best nationally, the highest national rank of any children's hospital west of the Mississippi, Texas Children's Hospital ranked in the top 35 in all 10 pediatric medicine specialties covered in the US News survey, including in the top 10 nationally in nine specialties.  In six of those pediatric specialties (cardiology and heart surgery, neonatology, cancer, nephrology, pulmonology, and gastorenterology/GI surgery) Texas Children's, a teaching hospital affiliate of the Baylor College of Medicine, ranked in the top 5 nationally.  Without a doubt, Texas Children's Hospital sits atop the list of the Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest.

With top 35 rankings in eight specialties in the US News survey, second on the list of the Top 5 Pediatric Hospitals in the Southwest would be Children's Medical Center Dallas (map).  Children's Medical Center Dallas, which is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of the University of Texas Southwestern medical school, earned top 10 national rankings in two specialties (#5 orthopedics and #10 urology) and top 20 national rankings in two others.

Sitting at third on the list of the Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest would be  Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth.  Ranked nationally in the top 50 in seven specialties in the US News survey, Cook Children's Hospital's two best rankings were in pulmonology (#28) and diabetes and endocrinology (also #28).

Phoenix Children's Hospital occupies 4th place on the list of the Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest based on the US News survey results.  Phoenix Children's ranked nationally in 4 pediatric medicine specialties, with its best rankings being in cancer (#36) and cardiology and heart surgery (#40).

Rounding out the list of the Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest is The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City.  The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center earned national top 50 rankings in two pediatric specialties, orthopedics and urology.

 While not placing on the list of the Top 5 Children's Hospitals in the Southwest, three other hospitals in the region earned one national ranking in a pediatric medicine specialty in the US News survey:

Children's Cancer Hospital and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (#42 in cancer)
Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston (#25 in diabetes and endocrinology)
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin (#49 in urology)