Shands at UF was ranked in eight adult specialties by U.S. News & World Report’s 2010-2011 edition of America’s Best Hospitals.
The rankings, announced publicly on Thursday, analyzed 4,852 hospitals in 16 specialties. Each hospital was ranked in the four areas of reputation, death rate, patient safety and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services.
Shands was one of 152 hospitals out of the 4,852 surveyed that performed well enough to rank among the top 50 in any of the specialties.
Shands was the highest-ranked Florida hospital in four specialties.
It ranked 32nd nationally in heart and heart surgery, 40th in kidney disorders, 29th in pulmonology and 25th in urology.
Shands also ranked 29th nationally in cancer care, 39th in neurology and neurosurgery, 39th in geriatrics and 41st in gastroenterology.
Shands was the only Florida hospital ranked in pulmonology, and, for the third consecutive year, the state’s highest-ranked hospital in urology, the surgical specialty treating diseases and disorders of the urinary tracts of male and females and the reproductive system of males.
Dr. Johannes Vieweg, UF department of urology chairman, said he owes much of the success in the survey to the recruitment of new faculty.
Vieweg said his department would like to reach out and open up to more areas, extending practices beyond the Gainesville area to become a provider throughout the state and even the country. He said he sees patients visiting from other states for the quality care Shands offers.
“Patients really seek out the top-ranked programs,” Vieweg said. “I think this will positively reflect on Shands.”
Dr. Carmen Allegra, chief of the division of hematology and oncology for the department of medicine, said he owed part of his department’s recognition to excellent faculty as well.
“We’ve had a tremendous number of new faculty join us within the last year or two,” Allegra said. ”Many of them have national and international reputations.”
Shands Children’s Hospital also received recognition in the best children’s hospital rankings. The pediatric center ranked 12th in diabetes and endocrinology.
More information and a complete list of rankings can be found at health.usnews.com.
