UCLA Medical Center Rated Among America’s Top-Five Hospitals in U.S.News & World Report Survey

UCLA Medical Center ranks as one of the top-five American hospitals — and the best hospital in the western United States for the 17th consecutive year — according to a U.S.News & World Report survey that reviewed patient outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors.

UCLA Medical Center is the only Southern California hospital to earn a spot on the magazine’s “honor roll” rankings in each of the 17 years U.S.News & World Report has conducted the survey. The honor roll recognizes hospitals that demonstrate excellence across many specialties.

According to a statement from the magazine, the hospitals that make the honor roll are often centers that treat the sickest patients, perform higher volumes of complicated procedures and not only follow but often propose advanced treatment guidelines.

“The honor-roll hospitals conduct bench-to-bedside research. And they exploit the latest advances in imaging, surgical devices and other technologies,” U.S.News & World Report states. “The 14 hospitals on the Honor Roll demonstrate exceptional breadth of excellence.”

“Our doctors, nurses and staff help the sick, advance medical knowledge and pursue scientific research so that the people of Los Angeles and beyond have access to the highest quality medical care,” said Dr. David L. Callender, associate vice chancellor and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. “This is a wonderful tribute to our outstanding medical and nursing staffs, and the entire healthcare team at UCLA Medical Center.”

Hospitals are ranked in 16 specialties, from cancer and heart disease to pediatrics and urology. In 11 of the 16 specialties, ranked hospitals must meet standards that are mostly driven by hard data. The U.S.News & World Report ranking also includes a reputation survey among randomly selected American Medical Association physicians, mortality data, and quality-of-care measures.

“To once again be in the company of the nation’s best hospitals, when the rapid changes in healthcare constantly challenge our commitment to excellence, makes us extraordinarily proud of the daily dedication of our physicians, scientists, nurses and staff,” said Dr. Gerald S. Levey, vice chancellor of UCLA Medical Sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “We congratulate each and every one of them for helping UCLA earn this well-deserved distinction. With accomplishments spanning every discipline, UCLA Medical Center truly has reason to celebrate.“

Nationally, UCLA ranked among the top 20 in 15 of the 16 ranked specialty areas. In each of the following specialties, UCLA ranked best in the western United States (national rankings as indicated):

Urology (No. 4)
Psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (No. 5)
Ophthalmology at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute (No. 5)
Digestive disorders (No. 5)
Rheumatology (No. 7)
Kidney disease (No. 8)
Orthopedics (No. 8)
Heart and heart surgery (No. 9)

Other specialties in which UCLA ranked nationally in the top 20 were:

Neurology and neurosurgery (No. 7)
Cancer at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center (No. 9)
Endocrinology (No. 10)
Ear, nose and throat (No. 11)
Gynecology (No. 12)
Respiratory disorders (No. 13)
Pediatrics (No. 15)