Pennsylvania provides some of the best medical care for severely ill children found anywhere in the United States.
That became clear this week, when Children's Hospital of Philadelphia topped the honor roll in U.S. News & World Report's rankings of the best children's hospitals.
The publication ranked children's hospitals in ten specialty areas. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was rated the best in two specialties, and ranked among the top three in nine of the ten categories, and in the top ten in every category. No other hospital ranked so high in so many areas.
Another Pennsylvania children's hospital, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC ranked number ten under the points system, thus rounding out the "honor roll" named by U.S. News & World Report. It ranked in the top ten in three categories.
Meanwhile, central Pennsylvania-based Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital had its strongest showing ever in the rankings, being named among the top 50 U.S. children's hospitals in five different specialties -- cancer, urology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and cardiology and heart surgery.
Last year, Penn State Hershey had ranked in the top 50 in three categories.
Nationally, 87 hospitals ranked in the top 50 in at least one specialty. U.S. News & World Report considered 179 pediatric centers. The rankings are based on factors including patient outcome data and a questionnaire asking 1,500 doctors where they would send the sickest children.
U.S. News & World report began the "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings in 2007 to help families of sick children find the best care. Penn State Hershey first made the list in 2008.
Here are the highest-rated children's hospitals in the United States:
1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Boston Children's Hospital
3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center
4. Texas Children's Hospital, Houston
5. Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
6. St. Louis Children's Hospital-Washington University
7. Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora
8. Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
9. Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore
10. Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC ___
[Image five gold stars from Bigstock.]
