7/7/2000

PITTSBURGH, July 7, 2000 — For the second consecutive year, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has been placed on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll as one of the "best of the best" hospitals in the United States. UPMC remains the only Pittsburgh-based health system to receive this distinction. According to U. S. News & World Report, the Honor Roll recognizes those institutions that perform at a very high level across many specialties. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals were recognized for excellence in 13 out of 16 specialty areas, placing it 15th out of 1,701 eligible hospitals in the United States. Also included on this select list of nationally prestigious institutions are Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; and Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, California.

"We are pleased that University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is once again recognized as one of the leading health care organizations in the country,’’ stated Jeffrey Romoff, president of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Mr. Romoff went on to say that this ranking provides further evidence that the people of western Pennsylvania no longer need to travel great distances to find the very best medical science has to offer. "The country’s leading specialty care is not only available here in Pittsburgh, but also throughout the region in UPMC’s network of community hospitals," he concluded.

Two specialty hospitals of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center did particularly well in the ratings this year. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic went from 12th last year to 10th in the nation in psychiatry and Magee-Womens Hospital went from a ranking of 29th last year to 11th this year in gynecology.

Overall, UPMC is recognized in 13 specialty areas, more than any other hospital in western Pennsylvania. The system is ranked 4th in ear, nose and throat; 10th in digestive disorders and psychiatry (Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic); 11th in gynecology (Magee-Womens Hospital); 12th in orthopedics; 14th in rheumatology; 16th in geriatrics and cancer; 18th in hormonal disorders which includes diabetes and other glandular conditions; 19th in cardiology; 21st in the treatment of kidney disease; 23rd in respiratory disorders and 50th in urology. In addition, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh which is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine ranked 7th in pediatrics.

U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals is an assessment of the nation’s hospitals based on an index made up of three equal parts related to quality of care: reputation, mortality, and various factors such as procedure volume and nursing care. The rankings will appear in the July 17 issue of the magazine, which will be on the newsstands on July 10.