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For more information, contact Abena Foreman-Trice at 434-243-2734. July 2, 2004 TEN UVa MEDICAL SPECIALTIES RANKED IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT'S BEST HOSPITALS |
| Ten medical specialties at the University of Virginia Health System are listed in U.S. News & World Report's 2004 edition of "America's Best Hospitals," including one list veteran – digestive health – that moved five spaces from 29 to 24. Another, endocrinology, held on to its fifth place ranking for the second year in a row. The 15th annual edition will appear in the magazine’s July 12 issue.
According to the magazine's editors, ranked hospitals perform large numbers of tricky and risky procedures, and study after study shows that expertise counts. Ranked hospitals also adhere closely to advanced treatment guidelines, incorporate new findings into patient care, and conduct research that gives desperately ill patients more options. U.Va. departments and divisions listed in this year’s guide and their rankings are: endocrinology (hormonal disorders) (5); ear nose and throat (18); urology (19); digestive disorders (24); gynecology (27); cancer (32); orthopedics (33); neurology and neurosurgery (37); and kidney disease (49). “This honor speaks volumes about the level of expertise, talent and commitment to cutting-edge medicine that our physicians and clinicians possess,” said Dr. Arthur Garson, Jr., vice president and dean of the U.Va. School of Medicine. “We work hard to maintain our high level of care and realize that achieving excellence is an ongoing process. We will continue reaching for new heights in order to bring our patients here at U.Va. the best medical services available.” One hundred seventy-seven U.S. medical centers were ranked out of 6,012. This year, magazine editors report that fewer than one in 30 were of high enough quality to be ranked in even a single specialty. To qualify, a hospital must be a member of the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliated with a medical school or provide at least nine of the 17 specified items of medical technology. ### |