Rush Ranked Among the Nation's Best in 12 of 17 Categories

Contact: John Pontarelli or Chris Martin
Phone: 312-942-5949 or 942-7820
Email: jpontare@rush.eduor cmartin@rush.edu

Rush University Medical Center jumped to the leadership position among all Illinois hospitals in terms of the number of specialty categories for which it is ranked among the top in the nation, according to the new issue of U.S.News & World Report magazine. The magazine lists the top 50 hospitals across the country for each of 17 medical care specialties as part of the magazine's annual "America's Best Hospitals" issue, dated July 12.

Rush was ranked among the best in the country in 12 of 17 specialty categories. Only 19 medical centers nationwide and no other hospital in Illinois were ranked in 12 or more categories. Of the 6,012 U.S. medical centers, only 177, or fewer than one in 30, were of high enough quality to be ranked in even a single specialty this year, according to the magazine.

In four of the specialty areas, Rush was ranked higher than any other hospital in Illinois. These include Geriatrics (#12 in the nation), Orthopedics (#10 in the nation), Neurology and Neurosurgery (#12 in the nation) and Kidney Diseases (#20 in the nation).

The rankings of other Rush programs are: Cancer, 31; Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, 44; Endocrinology, 31; Gastroenterology, 31; Gynecology, 31; Otolaryngology (ENT), 30; Pulmonary (Respiratory Disorders), 40; and Urology, 50.

According to U.S.News & World Report, "the hospitals in the lists fit a certain mold. They are often referral centers, because their physicians see sicker patients and do higher volumes of tough procedures. They follow, often propose, advanced treatment guidelines. They conduct research that migrates from labs and computer databases to the bedside. And they take advantage of improvements in imaging, surgical devices, and other technologies."

This recognition is in addition to other significant achievements - in clinical quality, program development, growth, and patient services. For example, Rush recently achieved its highest ever patient satisfaction scores, ranking it in the top 10 percent of all academic medical centers. This past fall, Rush received the highest scores in its history on the JCAHO (hospital accreditation) survey.

Rush is a Magnet institution in recognition of its top-notch nursing program. The Magnet award is the highest honor a hospital can receive for outstanding achievement in nursing services, awarded by the America Nurses Credentialing Center. Rush was the first full-service medical center in Illinois to receive this distinction, and is the only ranked full-service center in Illinois with the honor. Rush's patient safety and low mortality rates are highly distinctive, as well.