Community and regional hospitals are usually equipped to handle medical problems such as routine heart bypass surgeries and hip or knee replacements. But sometimes patients are facing problems that are even more complicated.
"For those patients, venturing beyond a trusted community hospital to seek care at a truly exceptional medical center, even one farther from home, may be the wisest option," U.S. News & World Report said in a new study.
U.S. News compiled a ranking of the top hospitals in the U.S. based on 16 areas of specialty care and nine "bellwether" procedures for conditions such as heart bypass, hip and knee replacement, heart failure and lung cancer surgery.
"Hospitals received points if they were nationally ranked in one of the 16 specialties—the more specialties and the higher their rank, the more points they got—and also if they were rated 'high performing' in the nine procedures and conditions," U.S. News said.
These are the hospitals, in ascending order, that were at the top of the list:
10. New York-Presbyterian Hospital
With a score of 242/480, the hospital ranked first in New York and first in the New York metro area. Highly rated specialties include psychiatry, rheumatology and cardiology/heart surgery.
9. Stanford Health Care, Stanford Hospital
The Stanford, Calif., hospital scored a 250. Top specialties include ear, nose and throat, and psychiatry. It was also ranked as the No. 1 hospital for the San Jose metro area. Stanford Health is also rated highly in colon cancer surgery and heart bypass surgery.
8. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Based in Los Angeles, the hospital scored a 252/480. Cedars-Sinai is listed as the third-ranked hospital in California and second in the Los Angeles metro area. Specialties noted as high performing are cardiology and heart surgery, plus gastroenterology and gastro-intestinal surgery.
7. UCLA Medical Center
The Los Angeles facility is one of the first hospitals built with seismic safety requirements to ensure it remains operational during earthquakes and other national disasters. It ranked second for regional hospitals in California and first in the Los Angeles metro area.
6. UCSF Medical Center
Scoring a 296/480, the San Francisco-based medical center offers high-performing pediatric diabetes and endocrinology procedures and treatments. The hospital also provides a pregnancy and postpartum mood assessment clinic for new mothers.
5. University of Michigan Hospitals-Michigan Medicine
Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., the teaching hospital specializes in nine adult procedures and conditions. High performing procedures include aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure and lung cancer surgery. The hospital scored a 324/480 in the overall ranking.
4. Massachusetts General Hospital
The Boston-based hospital was regionally ranked as the best in Massachusetts and in the Boston metro area. The hospital specializes in treatment areas that include cancer, digestive disorders, neurological issues, heart disease and orthopedics.
3. John Hopkins Hospital
The Baltimore-based teaching hospital for the John Hopkins University School of Medicine was founded in 1889. It is ranked first for regional hospitals in Maryland and first in the Baltimore metro area. The hospital has The Center for Music & Medicine, which offers treatment for Parkinson’s and dementia patients through music therapy, and provides specialized care for musicians suffering from hearing loss or carpel tunnel syndrome.
2. Cleveland Clinic
The clinic was ranked first in Ohio for best regional hospital and first for the Cleveland metro area. U.S. News reports that the Cleveland Clinic sees more heart patients than any other hospital in the country. In 2017, the hospital performed 700 organ transplants. The clinic scored a 100/100 for cardiology and heart procedures.
1. Mayo Clinic
Located in Rochester, Minn., the Mayo Clinic ranked first for regional hospitals in Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic opened additional locations in Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz. The hospital scored 100/100 for several specialties, including, gynecology, nephrology, neurology, geriatrics, and gastroenterology and GI surgery. A heart-lung bypass machine and total hip replacements are two notable innovations at the clinic.
The full report can be viewed here.
