MUSC Children's Hospital Retains US News & World Report Top Ranking in South Carolina

Contact: Heather Woolwine
843-792-7669
woolwinh@musc.edu

June 27, 2017

CHARLESTON, SC – MUSC Children’s Hospital is once again the only such institution in South Carolina to be ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 edition of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.”

The latest rankings are published online at Pediatric Hospital Rankings.

The leading specialties for MUSC Children’s Hospital are: No. 11 for cardiology and heart surgery, No. 28 for nephrology, No. 37 for urology, No. 36 for cancer, No. 47 for gastroenterology and GI surgery, and No. 45 for neurology, and neurosurgery.

Newcomers to the list this year, although known throughout the state for their unparalleled, specialized care, neurology and neurosurgery were recognized for quality of care, strong clinical outcomes, and survival rates. In addition, the cardiology and heart surgery programs now sit one spot away from the top 10 programs in the country. Cancer, gastroenterology and GI surgery, urology, and nephrology continued strong showings for this ranking period.

“These rankings represent a steadfast commitment by our entire children’s hospital staff to delivering the highest quality pediatric care in the region. Although each of these programs should be proud of these specific achievements, they truly reflect the collective hard work of all our teams,” said Mark A. Scheurer, M.D., MUSC Children’s Health chief of clinical services. “As we look to the opening of the new hospital in 2019 and continue developing our outpatient subspecialty care services within communities, we feel confident that we are striking the appropriate balance that puts the needs of our patients and their families first.”

The 11th annual rankings highlight the top 50 U.S. pediatric hospitals in each of 10 specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. In the 2017-18 rankings, 81 of the 187 hospitals surveyed were ranked in at least one of the 10 specialties.

The current methodology combines clinical and operational data, results from a reputational survey of board-certified pediatric specialists, and supplemental information from resources such as the National Cancer Institute. RTI International collects and analyzes the data for the rankings. The methodology reflects the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, such as staffing, technology, and special services, delivery of health care, such as reputation among pediatric specialists, programs that prevent infections and adherence to best practices, and clinical outcomes, such as patient survival, infection rates, and complications. Survival rates, adequacy of nurse staffing,and procedure volume are among the many kinds of information about each ranked hospital that can be viewed on Pediatric Hospital Rankings

"Once again, our care team members at the Children’s Hospital have another source of validation for the excellent care they are delivering to our patients and their families every day,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and university vice president for health affairs. “Clearly, the biggest validation they receive comes from those they serve, but these annual rankings certainly confirm that collectively we are leading health innovation for all the lives we touch at our Children’s Hospital. We can’t wait to see how the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital will take the state’s comprehensive care of children and their families to new and unprecedented heights for our state."

About MUSC Children’s Health

MUSC Children’s Health is a system of preventive and clinical care that delivers the most advanced, evidence-based health services to children from fetal stage and tiny newborns through the teen years. While the flagship MUSC Children’s Hospital is located in downtown Charleston, specialized pediatric care is now delivered through an expanding network of outreach locations, making children’s health care more convenient for families. MUSC Children’s Health is accessible across South Carolina at specialty clinics close to where community pediatricians treat their patients and through the state’s largest telehealth network. The telehealth network includes maternal-fetal care, tele-ICU, nutrition counseling, school-based care and a number of evolving programs. To learn more about MUSC Children’s Health, visit MUSC Children's Health.