For the third year in a row, Loma Linda University Medical Center is ranked No. 1 among all hospitals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and recognized as “high performing” for 11 specialties, by the U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-13 Best Hospitals rankings released today.
Loma Linda University Medical Center received recognition for 11 specialties—up from 10 specialties last year—with Geriatrics making its debut among the high performing specialties. Other specialties recognized as high performing are: Cancer; Cardiology and Heart Surgery; Diabetes and Endocrinology; Ear, Nose, and Throat; Gastroenterology; Gynecology; Nephrology; Orthopedics; Pulmonology; and Urology.
Loma Linda University Medical Center was also ranked No. 18 among hospitals in California, the first time that U.S. News has assigned rankings for hospitals within their state.
“We are extremely proud yet humbled to receive the recognition of being the No. 1 hospital in Riverside and San Bernardino counties for three years in a row,” Loma Linda University Medical Center CEO Ruthita Fike says.
“The rankings are based on benchmarks that are important to us: patient safety, the skills of our professionals, and how we respond to the most trying medical cases, among other criteria. This recognition affirms the commitment and hard work of everyone at Loma Linda University Medical Center to provide the best care that we can offer to our patients,” she adds.
This year’s Best Hospitals, the 23rd annual edition, showcases more than 720 of the nation’s roughly 5,000 hospitals. Fewer than 150 are nationally ranked in at least one of 16 medical specialties. The rest of the recognized hospitals met a standard of performance nearly as demanding in one or more specialties. Loma Linda University Medical Center ranked first of the hospitals rated in the Inland Empire of Southern California, a metropolitan area encompassing more than four million residents.
The hospital rankings, says U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow, are like a GPS-type aid to help steer patients to hospitals with strong skills in the procedures and medical conditions that present the biggest challenges.
“All of these hospitals are the kinds of medical centers that should be on your list when you need the best care,” adds Ms. Comarow. “They are where other hospitals send the toughest cases.”
The rankings were published by U.S. News in collaboration with RTI International, a research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Highlights of the 2012-13 rankings will appear in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2013 guidebook, to go on sale starting August 28.
The complete rankings and methodology are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.