UNC Hospitals Slips in Specialties Rankings

Posted on July 15, 2007

Six medical specialties offered at UNC Hospitals rank among the top 50 programs of their kind nationwide, according to the July 25 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine. The number is down from seven a year ago and nine in 2005.

UNC’s cancer program ranks 40th, unchanged from last year; ear, nose and throat care is 38th, down from 18th; gynecology is 24th, down from 18th; kidney disease care is 28th, down from 27th; care for respiratory disorders is 25th, unranked the two previous years; and urology is 43rd, down from 31st a year ago.

According to U.S. News, only 173 hospitals nationwide out of 5,462 that were evaluated scored highly enough to be ranked in one or more specialties.

To be eligible for ranking in 12 of the 16 specialties ranked by U.S. News, hospitals had to meet any of three standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliation with a medical school, or availability of at least six out of 13 advanced services such as image-guided radiation therapy and robotic surgery. This year, more than three-quarters of all hospitals failed to meet this requirement.

The magazine unveiled the rankings July 13 for its 18th annual “America’s Best Hospitals” issue, which will appear on newsstands July 16. UNC Hospitals has been included in the rankings for the past 15 years.

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Related coverage is available online:

• UNC Hospitals Ranked in Seven Specialties
  News report from July 2006

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