A pair of Pennsylvania children’s hospitals are ranked among the very best in the United States for caring for extremely sick children.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is ranked as the fourth best in the U.S. and first in the mid-Atlantic, and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh ranked eighth in the U.S., according to new rankings from U.S. News and World Report.
Many of the best children’s hospitals are located in big cities. However, in central Pennsylvania, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital made the top 50 for treating pediatric cancer, with a ranking of 47th.
“This recognition reflects the expertise and quality of care our dedicated teams strive for every day for our young patients and their families,” Dr. Yatin Vyas, a pediatric oncologist and the chair of pediatrics, said in a news release. “I am proud of this team’s commitment to this meaningful, life-changing work.”
Penn State Health officials noted money raised through Four Diamonds – best known as the Penn State THON cancer charity – enables the children’s hospital to perform research and improve its offerings while also giving financial help to patients.
Nationally, the top-ranked children’s hospitals are Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, followed by Boston Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital Houston.
U.S. News says it ranks hospitals based on medical outcomes for things such as complicated surgery, efficient coordination of care and adherence to best practices in areas such as infection control and staff diversity, and providing resources such as enough nurses and outpatient programs tailored to particular conditions. It uses data collected from about 200 hospitals and a survey sent to pediatric doctors throughout the country. It also works with more than 100 pediatric medical experts to decide what data to collect and how to analyze it.
The rankings, in their 17th year, are intended to help parents decide where to get care for an extremely sick child.
The U.S. News ranking is among a handful of well-regarded sources intended to help people decide where to get the best hospital care.
