Only Louisiana Hospital Recognized by U.S. News & World Report across Seven Specialty Categories
New Orleans – July 16, 2010 – Ochsner Medical Center has been named one of America’s best hospitals, cited for its exceptional delivery of medical care across seven categories, according to U.S. News and World Report. The recognition was published online on July 15, 2010, as well as in the August print edition, available on newsstands July 27.
“Since Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact to our region’s healthcare infrastructure 5-years ago, Ochsner has been focused on recruiting top medical professionals from around the country in more than 90 specialties and subspecialties,” said Dr. Patrick Quinlan, chief executive officer of Ochsner Health System. “Being named among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report is confirmation that we have built a nationally recognized quality healthcare organization with outstanding health professionals.”
Out of 4,852 facilities analyzed for the 2010-11 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings, only 3 percent earned a ranking in any of the 16 specialties. Ochsner, by contrast, earned a ranking in seven specialty categories, including:
- Ranked 23rd in Heart & Heart Surgery
- Ranked 28th in Ear, Nose & Throat
- Ranked 31st in Gastroenterology
- Ranked 36th in Orthopedics
- Ranked 36th in Pulmonology
- Ranked 39th in Gynecology
- Ranked 41st in Geriatrics
“Ochsner’s top priority has always been to provide the best possible care for our community and to be a best-in-class example for our nation’s healthcare providers,” said Warner L. Thomas, president and chief operating officer of Ochsner Health System. “This testifies to the hard work of Ochsner’s physicians, nurses and allied health professionals, and their unwavering dedication to improve health outcomes for the Gulf region. We are honored to be recognized among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report.”
U.S. News and World Report Hospital Ranking Criteria
The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties were driven by hard data such as death rates, procedure volume, and balance of nurses and patients. In the four remaining specialties – ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation and rheumatology – hospitals were ranked on reputation alone.
To be considered in any of the 12 data-driven specialties, a hospital must meet at least one of four criteria: It had to be a teaching hospital; or be affiliated with a medical school; or have at least 200 beds; or have 100 or more beds and the availability of four or more types of medical technology considered important in a high-quality medical facility, such as a PET/CT scanner and certain precision radiation therapies.
Next, hospitals had to meet a volume requirement, individually calculated for each specialty. The required volume was the number of Medicare inpatients from 2006 to 2008 who had various specified procedures and conditions in the specialty. A hospital that fell short could still qualify if it had been nominated by at least one physician in any of the U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals reputational surveys conducted in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Previous Ochsner “Best Hospitals” listings include:
- 1996: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Rheumatology
- 1997: Oncology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonary Disease, Rheumatology
- 1998: Cardiology, Gastroenterology, ENT, Rheumatology
- 1999: Cardiology
- 2000: Cardiology, Gynecology, Rheumatology and Urology
- 2001: Gastroenterology
- 2004: Endocrinology
- 2007: Ear, Nose & Throat
- 2009: Ear, Nose & Throat
- 2009: Urology
- 2009: Heart & Heart Surgery (ranked 48th)
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About Ochsner Health System
Ochsner Health System (www.ochsner.org) is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and over 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has received the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 14 consecutive years and is ranked as a “Best” Hospital by U.S. News and World Report. Ochsner employs more than 12,000 employees, over 750 physicians in 90 medical specialties and subspecialties, and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually.
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