DALLAS — July 11, 2008 — UT Southwestern Medical Center has been named in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals 2008 as one of only three hospitals in the North Texas area to achieve top rankings in one or more specialties.

The America’s Best Hospitals guide identifies 170 out of more than 5,000 medical centers nationwide that excelled in one or more of 16 specialties. The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass through several criteria to be ranked in the Best Hospitals guide.

The UT Southwestern specialties and their ranks on the list include: neurology and neurosurgery at 18; urology at 25; kidney disease at 36; and gynecology at 48.

“These specialty rankings are largely a reflection of the superb reputation UT Southwestern physicians have both regionally and nationally,” said Dr. John McConnell, executive vice president for health system affairs. “Our physicians, nurses and administrative team are totally dedicated to quality and the very best patient outcomes.”

To make the list, a facility must be a teaching hospital, be affiliated with a teaching hospital or have at least six of 13 important medical technologies.

To be ranked in a particular specialty, a hospital must have either a specified volume in certain procedures and conditions over three years, or must have been nominated in the magazine’s yearly specialist survey.

In addition to UT Southwestern, Parkland Memorial Hospital, which is staffed by UT Southwestern physicians, ranked 14th in gynecology. UT Southwestern physicians also provide the majority of specialists for Children’s Medical Center Dallas, recently named one of the top 30 children’s hospitals in a separate analysis by U.S. News & World Report.

“We have these great results because we have skilled physicians and caregivers who work together in a team environment,” said Sharon Riley, vice president for University Hospitals at UT Southwestern. “We are obviously very pleased with these results and will continue to strive for the best patient care in our hospitals and clinics.”

The only other hospital in North Texas to have specialties rank in the report was Baylor University Medical Center. Eight other Texas hospitals and clinics also made the list.      

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Media Contact: Katherine Morales
214-648-3404
katherine.morales@utsouthwestern.edu

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