You’ve probably seen badges and stars on hospital webpages and materials, advertising their status as a “Top 10 Hospital” or “Number 1 Hospital” for a medical specialty. But what do the rankings mean, and why should you care about a hospital’s ranking? Here’s what you need to know.

What are hospital rankings?

Hospital rankings are a way to measure the quality of a hospital and can help you find the best care for your child.

When are pediatric hospital rankings released?

Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases updated Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, highlighting top-performing pediatric hospitals across a range of specialties. The annual rankings are released in the fall and provide families with information to help guide healthcare decisions.

How are hospitals evaluated for ranking?

Hospitals are ranked based on various factors, and different organizations may prioritize different aspects of healthcare in their rankings. Here are the key areas typically considered:

• Patient experience: This measures patient satisfaction with factors such as communication with healthcare providers, responsiveness of hospital staff, care coordination, cleanliness of facilities and overall experience during a hospital stay.
• Clinical outcomes: This measures the effectiveness of care by evaluating factors like mortality rates for specific conditions, complication rates and patient safety.
• Timely and effective care: Hospitals are assessed on their adherence to recommended medical guidelines and their ability to provide timely and appropriate treatments for various conditions.
• Readmission and complication rates: A lower rate of readmissions within a specified timeframe (often 30 or 90 days) indicates better quality care, as it suggests fewer complications and a successful initial treatment.
• Specialized expertise and innovation: Some ranking organizations may consider a hospital’s ability to provide advanced treatments, specialized services and innovative approaches that can improve patient care and outcomes.

Why should parents care about hospital rankings?

Selecting a hospital for your child’s care is an important decision. Here’s why hospital rankings can be helpful:

• Patient safety: Higher-ranked hospitals often demonstrate strong performance in areas such as patient safety, quality outcomes and adherence to evidence-based care standards.
• Quality of care: Hospitals with strong rankings typically provide higher-quality care, which can lead to better outcomes for your child.
• Specialized care: Some hospitals specialize in certain types of treatments or conditions. Knowing a hospital’s ranking in these areas can be helpful in making your decision on where to take your child.
• Patient experience: Hospitals with high patient satisfaction ratings are more likely to provide a positive and supportive environment for both children and their families.

How to find hospital rankings

Several organizations publish hospital rankings, including:

• U.S. News & World Report: This organization ranks hospitals nationally and regionally in various specialties.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): CMS provides information on hospital quality measures, such as infection rates and patient satisfaction.
• Healthgrades: Healthgrades rates hospitals on a scale of 1 to 5 stars based on their clinical outcomes and patient experience.
• The Joint Commission: The Joint Commission is a non-profit organization that accredits and certifies healthcare organizations. They also publish a list of hospitals that have earned the Gold Seal of Approval for quality.
• Vizient: Vizient is a large healthcare membership organization that provides data and analytics to its members. They publish a list of hospitals that have been recognized for excellence in various areas, such as patient safety and quality of care.
• The Leapfrog Group: Evaluates hospitals on patient safety, including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections, and assigns Hospital Safety Grades.