GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – Reinforcing the power of academic medicine to advance patient care, scientific research and health education, UF Health has again earned national recognition in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings, with multiple hospitals and specialties ranked among the nation’s best.
Of 321 hospitals in Florida, U.S News ranks two flagship UF Health hospitals in the top 20—UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville at No. 3 and UF Health Jacksonville at No. 18.
The recognition underscores UF Health’s ability to deliver highly specialized care for some of the most complex conditions while expanding access to innovative treatments and clinical expertise across Florida. As an academic health center, UF Health integrates patient care, research and education to improve outcomes and bring new discoveries to the bedside.
“These rankings reflect the extraordinary commitment of our physicians, nurses and support teams to delivering exceptional, compassionate care for every patient every day,” said John D. Phipps, M.D., chief clinical officer for UF Health. “The results reflect UF Health’s systemwide commitment to providing the same exceptional, compassionate care to every community we serve.”
UF Health Shands Hospital is nationally ranked in five adult specialties: cancer (No. 35); geriatrics (No. 44), OB-GYN (No. 16), neurology and neurosurgery (No. 32) and pulmonary and lung surgery (No. 39).
The adult specialties of diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery and urology ranked in the top 10 percent nationally, all rated as “high performing.”
In addition to ranking hospital specialties, U.S. News separately ranks hospitals based upon performance across a range of conditions and procedures. This year, UF Health Shands Hospital was deemed “high performing” in 18 additional procedures and conditions. They include abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, acute kidney failure, back surgery (spinal fusion), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), colon cancer surgery, diabetes, gynecological cancer surgery, heart arrhythmia, heart attack, heart failure, hip fracture, hip replacement, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery, pneumonia and stroke, as well as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and ear, nose and throat.
Up from eight specialties last year, UF Health Jacksonville achieved high-performing status for 11 procedures and conditions, including acute kidney failure, COPD, diabetes, ear, nose and throat surgery, heart arrhythmia, heart attack, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, pneumonia, stroke and lymphoma and myeloma.
“One of the greatest strengths of an academic health system like ours is its ability to translate innovation into better care,” said John Hollingsworth, M.D., chief quality officer for the UF Health clinical enterprise. “These U.S. News rankings reflect the dedication of our teams to continuously improving quality, safety and the patient experience, ensuring that all Floridians benefit from the latest advances in medicine.”
UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital in Central Florida also was recognized as No. 1 in the Orlando metro region and No. 6 statewide for rehabilitation.
U.S. News ranks hospitals using a wide array of data, measuring patient outcomes such as the average time from admission to discharge, nurse staffing, patient experience and expert opinions.