Shands at UF ranked nationally in seven specialties

Seven medical specialty programs at Shands at the University of Florida are recognized among the nation’s best in the 2012-2013 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings, which were released this morning (July 17).

Overall, Shands at UF was recognized as one of the top hospitals in the state and had the state’s highest ranking in neurology and neurosurgery (32nd nationally).

The medical center’s highest ranking came in urology (20th nationally). Other specialty programs that received national recognition include: pulmonology (31st), cancer (36th), nephrology (37th), gastroenterology (41st), and cardiology and heart surgery (47th nationally).

“Our focus is always on putting our patients first and providing them with the highest quality, safest health care,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs and president of the UF&Shands Health System. “This recognition by U.S. News exemplifies the unwavering commitment of our faculty, staff and students to answering this call and to meeting the needs of the patients who entrust us with their medical care. It’s also a reflection of the strong collaboration that exists between our faculty physicians and our hospital.”

Programs at Shands at UF are staffed by interdisciplinary teams including UF College of Medicine faculty physicians and Shands nursing, clinical and support staff.

“Our UF&Shands faculty and staff provide an exceptionally high level of care and are continually seeking ways to improve quality and the patient experience as well as discover new ways to diagnose and treat the conditions our patients face. This honor demonstrates that we are achieving these goals,” said Michael L. Good, M.D., dean of the UF College of Medicine.

Out of approximately 5,000 facilities considered for inclusion in the 2012-13 Best Hospitals rankings, only 148 hospitals were nationally ranked in any of the 16 specialties. The rankings take into consideration the reputation of each hospital, its death rate and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. Medical centers are also assessed for competence providing complex care for patients who are high-risk.

For the third year in a row, urology was Shands at UF’s highest-ranked program.

“We are honored by this recognition. It pays tribute to the commitment of our faculty and staff, whose mission every day is to deliver individualized, high-quality and safe urologic care to our patients,” said Johannes Vieweg, M.D., UF College of Medicine urology chairman.

Additionally, Shands at UF was recognized in five specialties — diabetes and endocrinology; ear, nose and throatgeriatricsgynecology; and orthopedics — as “high-performing,” meaning they are in the top 25 percent of hospitals evaluated.

“Our physicians, nurses and team members provide outstanding patient care and these rankings validate the devotion and expertise we witness every day,” said Timothy M. Goldfarb, Shands HealthCare CEO.

Earlier this year, Shands Hospital for Children was recognized in seven medical specialties in the 2012-13 U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings: diabetes and endocrinology (13th); cardiology and heart surgery (25th), nephrology (27th); gastroenterology (27th); pulmonology (37th); neonatology (37th) neurology and neurosurgery (49th); and. The diabetes and endocrinology and gastroenterology programs were ranked highest in the state.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-13 Best Hospitals listings are available online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.