U.S. News Releases the 2020 - 2021 Best Children's Hospitals and New "Hospital Heroes" Series

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings, today published the 2020-21 Best Children's Hospitals rankings to help families facing complex and rare conditions find the best medical care for their children. To accompany the rankings, U.S. News launched the U.S. News Hospital Heroes project, a series of profiles and reports on a diverse array of frontline health care workers from hospitals across the country.

As the world and its health care systems grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. News remains committed to providing data-driven information and guidance to help patients, families and caregivers understand their health care options. The 14th annual Best Children's Hospitals rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals.

The U.S. News Hospital Heroes series shines a light on some of the many professionals, including those at children's hospitals, who have stepped up in the midst of this public health crisis. The series also brings to the forefront diverse leading voices to help pediatric medicine navigate through and emerge from the pandemic. These thought leaders discuss: pivoting strategy to best provide care, the value of emergency preparedness, overcoming fear to keep children healthy, reimagining ways to deliver care through partnerships, lessons from one of the first hospitals to pivot to COVID-19 care, and threats children's hospitals face in the wake of the pandemic.

This year's rankings edition highlights the top 50 centers in each of these 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology & lung surgery and urology.

Ten hospitals earned a place on the Honor Roll – a distinction awarded to pediatric centers that deliver exceptionally high-quality care across multiple specialties. For the seventh consecutive year, Boston Children's Hospital claimed the top spot on the Honor Roll. It also landed at No. 1 in four of the 10 specialties; nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, pulmonology & lung surgery and urology.

"Across our nation, health care professionals are striving against unprecedented challenges to provide the best possible care to each of their patients," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. "The nurses, doctors and other professionals at the Best Children's Hospitals have demonstrated a track record of delivering top-notch care to children with diverse medical needs."

The 2020-21 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll

1. Boston Children's Hospital
2. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center 
4. Texas Children's Hospital
5. Children's Hospital Los Angeles
6. Children's Hospital Colorado 
7. Children's National Hospital
8. Nationwide Children's Hospital
9. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
10. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford

Top Five Children's Hospitals in Selected Specialties

Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery

1. Texas Children's Hospital
2. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
3. Children's Hospital Los Angeles
4. Boston Children's Hospital
5. Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health

Pediatric Cancer

1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
4. Texas Children's Hospital
5. Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Neonatology

1. Children's National Hospital
2. Children's Hospital Los Angeles
3. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
4. Rady Children's Hospital
5. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Best Children's Hospitals methodology factors objective measures such as patient outcomes, including mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices. These ratings help individuals and their families begin their search for pediatric care and should be used in consultation with a medical professional. The data in the 2020-21 edition of the Best Children's Hospitals were not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which began after the end of the data-collection period. For more information about the 2020-21 rankings, please visit the FAQ.

RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected and analyzed data from 118 children's hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. More than 100 pediatric specialists and other experts provided input through methodology working groups.

This year's rankings will be published in the U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals 2021" guidebook (ISBN 9781931469951), available in stores October 6.

For more information, visit Best Children's Hospitals and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A digital news and information company focused on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report