In addition, Riley was ranked among the top 25 – 16th overall – in the nation. The rankings will appear in the February 2009 edition of Parents magazine.
Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, was the only children’s hospital in Indiana to be recognized in any category by Parents magazine. Riley has sites and serves patients at Riley Hospital for Children, Riley at Clarian North, Riley at Methodist Hospital, as well at six other hospitals and 46 outpatient sites – 30 primary and 16 sub-specialty – across Indiana.
This acknowledgement from Parents magazine follows on the heels of Riley’s recognition in U.S.News & World Report’s 2008 edition of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals, ranking five specialty programs at Riley among the top 30 hospitals in the nation. The programs recognized were neonatal care, respiratory disorders, digestive disorders, cancer and neurology and neurosurgery.
“We are pleased to be recognized with our national peers. This is truly a credit to physicians, staff and leadership at Riley, the Indiana University School of Medicine and Clarian Health,” said Ora Pescovitz, MD, president and CEO, Riley Hospital for Children. “Our goals are to continue to recruit top physicians and researchers to continue being a national leader in education and research; bolster the life sciences growth in Central Indiana; develop statewide partnerships; and above all else, continue to provide the very best in patient care and service to all Hoosier children and families.”
“I also want to send a special word of praise to the neonatal and pulmonary care teams at Riley for being recognized as leaders by Parents magazine,” continued Dr. Pescovitz. “They continue to be highly regarded by their peers and this recognition is another demonstration of the continued excellence they perform each and every day.”
Riley’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was the first in Indiana and established in 1970. The Riley NICU has over 30 neonatologists, 180 neonatal nurses and 20 neonatal respiratory therapists, as well as social workers, dieticians and other important staff. The NICU also employs two parents full-time to work alongside the social workers as family support professionals.
In 1976, Riley’s highly regarded Pediatric Pulmonary program was established with national and international physician leaders. The hospital’s Pulmonary department treats more than 14,000 patients a year. Comprised of 24 physicians, 19 nurses, 10 respiratory therapists, social workers and dieticians, the programs leads the state in the diagnosis and treatment of infants, children and adolescents with acute and chronic respiratory disease, from moderate asthma to the most complex lung problems.
Riley will continue to build on its level of service and grow its ability to provide cutting edge pediatric medical care and research with the phase I opening of the Simon Family Tower in May 2009.
The 10-story, 675,000 square-foot inpatient tower will increase access to Riley’s expert care, highlighting its role as the state’s preeminent pediatrics medical provider, and is the first step toward allowing Riley Hospital to meet its goal to be one of the largest and best children’s hospitals in the nation.
The Parents magazine rankings were based on a variety of criteria. A comprehensive 250-question survey was developed, with advice from child-health experts, and distributed to all children’s hospitals that were full members of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions. The survey responses were graded to determine overall ranking and recognize leaders in six pediatric subspecialties.