July 11, 2005
For immediate release
Contact: Peter Jump
434-924-1501

SEVEN SPECIALTIES AT UVa HEALTH SYSTEM RANKED IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT’S BEST HOSPITALS FOR 2005

Seven medical specialties at the University of Virginia Health System are listed in the 16th annual survey from U.S. News & World Report on “America’s Best Hospitals,” due to appear in the magazine’s July 18 issue.

UVa specialties ranked in the new guide from U.S. News are: endocrinology (hormonal disorders) (6); ear, nose and throat (20); urology (22); cancer (32); gynecology (34); digestive disorders (37); and neurology and neurosurgery (48).

According to the magazine’s editors, ranked hospitals tend to offer more advanced treatments, incorporate new research into patient care and conduct more research that gives critically ill patients better treatment options. The magazine also says ranked hospitals are more experienced in performing tricky or risky procedures and studies show that, when it comes to superior medical care, practice counts.

“It is gratifying to be named once again as one of America ’s best hospitals in each of these specialties,” said R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of the UVa Medical Center . “Our strongest medical specialty areas match the needs of patients and families in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

This year, magazine editors report that just 176 hospitals scored high enough to rank in even a single specialty out of all 6,007 U.S. medical centers. To qualify for the U.S. News rankings, a hospital must be a member of the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliated with a medical school or provide at least nine of the 18 medical technologies specified in the survey.

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