Top 10 children's hospitals in the US

U.S. News and World Report recently released its rankings of the Best Children’s Hospitals by Specialty in 2023, designating 10 of them to their Honor Roll for excelling in multiple specialties. 

The rankings are the result of detailed provider surveys that assess things like patient safety, infection prevention and staffing. Hospitals’ scores also are the result of survey responses from more than 15,000 pediatric specialists pertaining to where they would recommend sending some of the sickest children among their own specialty.  

Rankings were determined based on three factors:  

  • Clinical outcomes (maximizing survival, minimizing complications) 

  • Efficient coordination of care (safety protocols, commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, etc.) 

  • Providing care-related services (adequate staffing, staff dedicated to specific conditions, etc.) 

The list focuses on 10 pediatric specialties—oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology. While 89 pediatric hospitals ranked in at least one specialty, an elite batch of hospitals earned points for being highly ranked in multiple areas of expertise. 

Those hospitals earned a coveted position on the U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll. The honorees, each of whom ranked in all 10 specialties, are listed below: 

  1. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

  1. Boston Children's Hospital

  1. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas 

  1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  1. Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. 

  1. Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio

  1. Children's Hospital Los Angeles

  1. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

  1. Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, California

  1. Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, Maryland

2023 marks the 17th year that U.S. News has been issuing their Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. 

For more insight, including the list of children’s hospitals ranked by specialty, click here

Hannah murhphy headshot

In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.

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