University of Florida Health Shands Hospital has been recognized among the nation’s best hospitals in five adult medical specialties, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2013-14 Best Hospitals rankings released on July 16.
Overall, UF Health Shands Hospital was recognized as one of the best hospitals in North Florida and in the state as a whole.
UF Health Shands Hospital had the state’s highest ranking in urology, which rose two places to 18th nationally, as well as in neurology and neurosurgery, which was 37th nationally.
Other specialty programs that received national recognition include: pulmonology (49th), nephrology (34th), and cardiology and heart surgery (47th).
In addition to being ranked among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in five specialties, UF Health Shands Hospital also was listed as “high-performing” in seven additional specialties, including: cancer; diabetes and endocrinology; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology and GI surgery; geriatrics; gynecology; and orthopedics.
“At UF Health, our faculty and staff members are focused on improving quality of care and the patient experience, as well as making discoveries that could lead to breakthroughs in treatment. This honor is another indication that we are meeting these goals,” said Dr. Michael Good, dean of the UF College of Medicine.
Out of approximately 5,000 facilities considered for inclusion in the 2013-14 Best Hospitals rankings, only three percent of hospitals were nationally ranked in any of the 16 specialties. In addition, only 15 percent of hospitals are listed as high-performing.
The rankings take into consideration the reputation of each hospital, patient survival rates and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. Medical centers are also assessed for competence providing complex care for patients who are high-risk.