2010 "America’s Best Children’s Hospitals" survey by 'U.S. News' again ranks Packard Children’s as one of nation’s best

Only Bay Area children’s hospital with specialty programs ranked in nation’s Top Ten

For Release: June 03, 2010

PALO ALTO, Calif. — In the new U.S. News & World Report rankings of America's Best Children’s Hospitals 2010, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has again been named one of the nation’s best.

In their annual survey online today (3) at usnews.com/childrenshospitals, U.S.News places three of the hospital’s specialties in the nation’s Top Ten, including heart and heart surgery (#5), kidney disorders (#5), and neonatology (#6). These honors made Packard Children’s the only Bay Area children’s hospital with programs in the Top Ten. Additionally, these three specialty rankings were the highest among children’s hospitals in California, and both the heart and neonatology programs ranked as highest among children’s hospitals on the West Coast. Additionally, six other programs ranked highly on the U.S.News specialty list, including cancer, diabetes/endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, urology, and neurology/neurosurgery.

Christopher Dawes, president and chief executive officer at Packard Children’s, was proud of the news. “We share this success with our entire faculty and staff. They’re pioneers in pediatric and obstetric medicine, and it’s through their passion and innovation that we have built one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals,” said Dawes. “The new rankings are a testament to this phenomenal work.”

The U.S.News honor adds to a growing list of recent highlights for Packard Children’s, including:

  • A study that showed for the first time that a significant decrease in hospital-wide mortality rates can be associated with implementation of a computerized physician order entry system.
  • Opening the new Center for Fetal Health, providing comprehensive, collaborative care for families facing complex fetal problems.
  • In a U.S. imaging first, the pediatric radiology team used prenatal MRI to detect a rare genetic disease in a newborn.
  • The successful implantation of a high-tech artificial bone in a three-year-old’s arm, a surgery never before attempted on a toddler.
  • The announcement at Packard Children’s by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Apple CEO Steve Jobs of legislation that will make it easier for Californians to affirm their preferred organ donor status.

The specialty rankings of this year’s America’s Best Children’s Hospitals survey were based on a methodology that weighed a blend of reputation, outcome, and care-related measures such as volume, nursing care, advanced technology, credentialing, and other factors. A detailed description of the methodology can be found online at http://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-childrens-hospitals/articles/2010/06/02/behind-the-2010-11-best-childrens-hospitals-rankings.html.

Authors

Robert Dicks
(650) 497-8364
rdicks@stanfordchildrens.org

About Stanford Medicine Children's Health

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford at its center, is the Bay Area’s largest health care system exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers. Our network of care includes more than 65 locations across Northern California and more than 85 locations in the U.S. Western region. Along with Stanford Health Care and the Stanford School of Medicine, we are part of Stanford Medicine, an ecosystem harnessing the potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education, and clinical care to improve health outcomes around the world. We are a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the community through meaningful outreach programs and services and providing necessary medical care to families, regardless of their ability to pay. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.