UC Irvine Medical Center among 'America's Best Hospitals' for 14th consecutive year
Geriatrics, nephrology and ear, nose and throat programs ranked in top 50
July 15, 2014
For the 14th consecutive year, UC Irvine Medical Center has been listed among “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report and is ranked in the top 50 nationally in three specialties: 33rd for ear, nose and throat, 39th for geriatrics, and 50th for nephrology.
“We are gratified to be recognized again for the daily commitment UCI Health physicians and staff make to our patients,” said Terry A. Belmont, CEO of UC Irvine Medical Center. “There is no question that in Orange County, we are the hospital of choice for the treatment of serious and complex cases.”
UC Irvine Medical Center is the only Orange County hospital consistently rated among America’s best by U.S. News and is ranked No. 9 in California and No. 4 in the Los Angeles metropolitan region. Since 2001, the magazine has listed its programs in urology, gynecology, geriatrics, cancer, digestive disorders, nephrology, and ear, nose & throat among the top 50 nationwide.
“These ratings again reflect the excellence of our medical faculty, nurses and staff and are a testament to the quality of care and services we provide to the region,” said Dr. Roger F. Steinert, professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology and interim dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
In addition to its nationally ranked specialties, UCI Health programs in cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, pulmonology and urology are rated as high performing in the Los Angeles region.
For the 2014-15 “America’s Best Hospitals” report, U.S. News evaluated about 4,700 medical centers nationwide and ranked fewer than 150 of them, or 3 percent, in at least one of 16 specialties based on their ability to treat the most challenging cases. Using methodology created by RTI International, the magazine assessed each hospital’s reputation, mortality rate and patient care services. Additional points were awarded for Magnet status in nursing or designation as a Level I trauma center – both of which apply to UC Irvine Medical Center.
The rankings are available on the U.S. News “Best Hospitals" website and will appear in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2015” guidebook, available in August.
“The data tell the story – a hospital that emerged from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of,” said U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. “A Best Hospital has demonstrated its expertise in treating the most challenging patients."
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 412-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 14 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Located in coastal Orange County, near a thriving employment hub in one of the nation’s safest cities, UC Irvine was founded in 1965. One of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, it’s ranked first among U.S. universities under 50 years old by the London-based Times Higher Education. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Under the leadership of Interim Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.3 billion annually to the local economy.
