For the ninth year in a row, Boston Children’s Hospital has been named the nation’s top pediatric hospital by US News & World Report. To compile this annual list, US News assembles and evaluates key clinical data from more than 200 medical centers around the country, gathering information about measures including patient safety, infection prevention, and adequacy of nurse staffing. Also influencing the rankings are responses from more than 11,000 pediatric specialists, who are surveyed about where they would send sick children in their specialty who require the most care.
As the hospital’s president and chief executive officer Dr. Kevin B. Churchwell said, “This ranking is a testament to the extraordinary work and resolve of our entire Boston Children’s family and a tribute to their dedication to the patients, families, and communities we are privileged to serve.”
Of all the pediatric specialties that the US News list evaluates, Boston Children’s Hospital is ranked in the top 10 for every single one. Furthermore, it has earned first place in the following five specialties:
1. Cancer
Through its specialized pediatric hematology and oncology program, which is integrated with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital offers world-class cancer and blood disease care for children and young adults. In addition to essential treatment options including clinical trials and advanced therapies, Boston Children’s maintains a vast network of pediatric subspecialty resources—from neurologists and orthopedists to pathologists and diagnostic imaging specialists—which results in a truly comprehensive approach to cancer care.
Some of the care and treatment innovations at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center include:
- New England’s only pediatric PET (positron emission tomography) scanner to help guide treatment decisions
- One of the world’s largest pediatric stem cell transplant centers
- Treatment for every type of blood cancer, even extremely rare ones
- Advanced and aggressive surgical techniques for liver cancers that few other institutions in the country offer
2. Nephrology
Boston Children’s Division of Nephrology cares for children from all over the world with congenital and acquired kidney disease. With an international reputation for expertise in caring for very young children with chronic kidney disease, as well as extensive experience with complex conditions related to kidney dysfunction, Boston Children’s is constantly working to improve care for patients and their families and deepen our understanding of kidney disease.
Some of the recent initiatives conducted through the hospital’s long-established research program—one of the largest of its kind to be focused on pediatric nephrology—include research into safer, more effective protocols for kidney transplants, extensive investigation into the genetic causes of kidney dysfunction, and a pharmacogenomics group that designs and develops drugs addressing genetic differences in children with kidney disease.
3. Neurology & Neurosurgery
All caregivers at the Boston Children’s Hospital Brain Center are dedicated to providing the best possible care for each child and to supporting and involving families in every step of the treatment process. The Brain Center treats a broad spectrum of conditions, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders, and head trauma. It also offers more Phase I clinical trials than any other program in the region.
In addition to being home to one of the country’s leading pediatric sleep disorder programs, the Brain Center maintains the nation’s sole outpatient addiction center for children and has developed valuable and accessible online mental health resources to help children and their caregivers living with conditions such as cerebral palsy and depression.
4. Orthopedics
From broken arms and sports injuries to highly complex conditions, Boston Children’s Orthopedic Center provides world-renowned care for developmental, congenital, and neuromuscular injuries, as well as post-traumatic musculoskeletal problems.
Established in 1903, the Orthopedic Center accommodates more than 100,000 patient visits every year and performs approximately 6,000 surgeries. Treating a full spectrum of orthopedic conditions, the center’s interdisciplinary team includes orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians and psychologists, podiatrists, dieticians, and physical and occupational therapists.
Some of the innovations at the Orthopedic Center include:
- Landmark research on ACL repair, particularly the development of ACL surgeries that spare growth plates in young adults
- The establishment of the oldest and largest center for comprehensive spina bifida care
- The use of adjuvant chemotherapy and limb salvage surgery for young patients with osteosarcoma
5. Urology
Boston Children’s Department of Urology diagnoses and treats common and complex urological conditions alike, from urinary tract infections to genitourinary cancers. Caring for more than 20,000 children and performing over 3,000 surgical procedures every year, the department’s team of world-renowned, board-certified urologists offer state-of-the-art care across all aspects of pediatric urology.
The Department of Urology’s offerings include day surgery options for common procedures, advanced uroradiology and ultrasound facilities, a comprehensive urodynamics laboratory, and fetal urology counseling for expectant parents where congenital genitourinary problems have been diagnosed during prenatal care.