The rankings will be published in the magazine's Sept. 3 "America's Best Children's Hospitals" issue, which arrives on newsstands Monday, Aug. 27, and is currently available online at www.health.usnews.com/pediatrics.
"At Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, we believe we are improving the health of today's and tomorrow's children. We do this through our combined missions of clinical service, research and education," said the hospital's physician-in-chief, Dr. Edward R.B. McCabe, who holds the Mattel Executive Endowed Chair in UCLA's Department of Pediatrics. "To be named as one of the leading children's hospitals in the country, and one of the best in Southern California, is truly a tribute to our incredibly dedicated medical staff and health care team."
According to the magazine, to be eligible for this year's rankings, a medical facility had to be classified by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions as a free-standing children's hospital or a "hospital within a hospital" — a large, multidisciplinary pediatric service within a medical center.
Of the 122 children's hospitals that met this standard, 113 responded to a U.S. News & World Report survey asking for data and statistics on a variety of procedures, including the number of bone marrow transplants performed and the availability of technology services such as advanced imaging and precisely guided radioscopy. Thirty of these facilities made the cut as one of America's best children's hospitals.
While U.S. News & World Report's previous pediatric hospital rankings were based on reputation alone, this expanded version is based on a new and improved methodology that weighed three factors — reputation, death rates and such care-related factors as volume, nursing care, advanced technology and recognition by outside organizations. A detailed description of the methodology can be found in the online rankings.
"Since launching our annual rankings of hospitals in 1990, the demand for facilities dedicated to the unique needs of children has changed dramatically," said Avery Comarow, a senior writer with the magazine and editor of the annual rankings. "Improving the usefulness and relevance of the rankings in this important specialty has been a longstanding goal of the magazine. We hope that parents and caregivers will find this special report helpful when seeking out medical attention for their child."
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, one of the highest-rated children's hospitals in Southern California, is a vital component of UCLA Medical Center, which was recently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the third best hospital in nation and best in the Western United States. Mattel Children's Hospital offers a full spectrum of primary and specialized medical care for infants, children and adolescents. The hospital's mission is to provide state-of-the-art treatment for children in a compassionate atmosphere, as well as to improve the understanding and treatment of pediatric diseases. For more information, visit www.uclahealth.org/mattel.
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