Photo by Barbara Ries
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals have been recognized among the nation's best pediatric medical centers in all 10 specialties assessed in U.S. News & World Report's annual survey of Best Children's Hospitals for 2021-2022, reflecting the quality of specialty care the hospitals provide for children in Northern California and beyond.
Together, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco ranked fourth nationwide in newborn specialty care (neonatology) and were the top-ranked children's hospitals in Northern California in both pediatric cancer and urology. They also placed among the top 20 children's hospitals nationwide in diabetes and endocrinology, kidney care (nephrology), and neurology and neurosurgery, and received high marks in four other pediatric specialties: cardiology and heart surgery, pulmonology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, and orthopedics. Overall, they tied as the No. 3 children's hospitals in the entire Pacific Region, which includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
"Over the past year, our teams have risen to a new challenge in serving the children of our communities. Their efforts have been tremendous, and we are so proud that they have been recognized once again for the excellence they provide every day," said Mark R. Laret, president and chief executive officer of UCSF Health. "The rise in rankings across the board this year reflects the benefits of an affiliation that has brought together two world-class institutions with a long history of excellence, as well as an unwavering dedication to the details of our work."
The rise in rankings across the board this year reflects the benefits of an affiliation that has brought together two world-class institutions with a long history of excellence, as well as an unwavering dedication to the details of our work.
The annual U.S. News rankings serve as a guide to hospitals nationwide that excel in treating children with the most challenging diagnoses. This is the sixth year in which UCSF Benioff Hospitals have ranked together among the best children's hospitals across all 10 rankings. This year, the hospitals' rankings rose in almost every category.
"We have a long-term vision to be one of the greatest children's health enterprises in the nation, alongside an unwavering commitment to serving the most vulnerable children and families in our community," said Matthew Cook, MBA, president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. "This is welcome recognition of our commitment and our investment in the specialty care we provide, as well as the entire team's efforts on behalf of the children we serve."
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco
The 2021-22 results represent the 15th year of pediatric rankings. The methodology reflects clinical outcomes such as patient survival, infection rates and complications; the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, including staffing, special services and technology; delivery of health care, such as programs to prevent infection and promote adherence to best practices; and expert opinion from surveys of 5,858 pediatric specialists.
Of the 193 children's hospitals reviewed this year, 89 hospitals were ranked among the top 50 in at least one specialty. Each facility was either a freestanding children's hospital or an autonomous, multidisciplinary pediatric department within a major medical center.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals Specialty Rankings for 2021-2022
A staff member walks with a young patient through the Pediatric Oncology unit at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. Photo by Maurice Ramirez
#4 Neonatology
#12 Neurology and Neurosurgery
#14 Cancer Care
#15 Urology
#17 Diabetes and Endocrinology
#19 Nephrology
#27 Cardiology and Heart Surgery
#29 Pulmonology
#30 Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
#50 Orthopedics
The complete list of children's hospital rankings is available online and will be published in the Best Hospitals print guide in September. U.S. News & World Report will publish its adult hospital rankings on July 27, 2021.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals are among the nation's leading pediatric specialty hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings. Their expertise covers virtually all pediatric conditions, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, pulmonology, diabetes and endocrinology, as well as the care of critically ill newborns. The two campuses in San Francisco and Oakland are known worldwide for basic and clinical research and are at the forefront of translating research into interventions for treating and preventing pediatric disease. They are part of UCSF Health, whose adult hospital ranks among the top 10 medical centers nationwide and serves as the teaching hospital for the University of California, San Francisco, a national leader in biomedical research and graduate-level health/sciences education.
