US News releases their 2006 edition of America’s Best Hospitals

In an email today from US News and World Reports:

Now in its 17th year, Americas Best Hospitals is widely considered the most authoritative hospital guide, screening over 5,189 hospitals and medical centers around the country. The guide ranks 176 hospitals and medical centers in 16 specialties: cancer; digestive disorders; ear, nose, and throat; endocrinology; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disease; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopedics; pediatrics; psychiatry; rehabilitation; respiratory disorders; rheumatology; and urology.

Choosing the right hospital is critical, said Brian Duffy, Editor of U.S.News & World Report. U.S. News annual hospital guide provides consumers with a comprehensive assessment to choose the best hospital specific to their needs. Although this years Honor Roll is an elite group, hospitals around the country are excelling in a variety of fields.”

Of the 176 medical centers that are ranked in this year’s edition of America’s Best Hospitals, 14 earned Honor Roll status by ranking at or near the top in at least six specialties, a demonstration of unusually broad expertise:

1. Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
2. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
3. Cleveland Clinic
4. Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
5. UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
6. New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
7. Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)
8. Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis)
9. University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
10. University of Washington Medical Center, (Seattle)
11. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston)
12. University of Michigan Hospitals and Health System (Ann Arbor, MI)
13. Stanford Hospital and Clinics (Stanford, CA)
14. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

The rankings weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and such care-related factors as nursing and patient services. Virtually all short-term, acute-care hospitals in the U.S. were evaluated, and a total of 176 hospitals are ranked in one or more specialties this year.
This years Americas Best Hospitals guide also addresses the following topics:

· When to Head For the Very Best – Theres no need to dial up Mayo for an appointment for a hernia repair, or for many other routine procedures. So when should someone look for a highly regarded hospital?
· Finding Help Close to Home – Many surgeries, chronic care and ongoing treatments are handled very competently by non-elite community hospitals. Hometown hospitals provide a nice alternative to leaving family and friends behind. Is one in your town?
· Are You In or Out – Most people who visit the hospital are outpatients, even if they are having surgery. Is outpatient surgery as safe as inpatient surgery? Is it better?
· Easing the Culture Clash – The flow of patients into hospitals, especially in urban areas, is becoming a polyglot of languages and cultures. Understanding the implications is critical to good care. Hospitals are now responding with translators and mini-courses for staff to help ease the culture crash.

For more information, they’ve got a searchable site.
I’m off for the weekend, and recommend you take it off, too.

Update: link fixed.