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<p>Eleven clinical programs at Clarian Health-Indiana University School of Medicine are ranked among the top 50 national programs in U.S.News &amp; World Report’s 2010-2011 edition of American’s Best Hospitals available online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and featured in the August print issue of U.S.News available on newsstands July 27.</p>

Clarian Health-Indiana University School of Medicine specialty programs ranked among nation’s best

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Only 152 of the 4,852 hospitals evaluated nationwide performed well enough to rank in even one specialty. Clarian Health hospitals are the only Indiana hospitals included in the rankings.

Best Hospitals 2010-11 includes rankings in 16 specialties, including cancer; diabetes and endocrinology; ear, nose, and throat; gastroenterology; geriatrics; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; pulmonology; rehabilitation; rheumatology; and urology. Full data is available online for another 1,740 hospitals that qualified for ranking but did not score high enough to be ranked.

Clarian-IUSM have been recognized by America’s Best Hospitals for 13 consecutive years. Clinical programs recognized by U.S.News & World Report and their numerical rankings are:

  • Urology – 13th
  • Gastroenterology – 14th
  • Geriatrics – 25th
  • Ears, Nose and Throat – 25th
  • Orthopedics – 29th
  • Pulmonology – 32nd
  • Kidney Disorders – 38th
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery – 40th
  • Cancer – 40th
  • Diabetes & Endo – 48th
  • Heart & Heart Surgery – 49th

In June, seven specialty programs at Riley Hospital for Children ranked among the top 30 children’s hospitals in the nation, including urology which ranked third, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010-11 edition of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals. Recognized programs and their numerical rankings are:

  • Urology – 3rd
  • Diabetes & Endocrine Disorders – 12th
  • Neonatal Care – 14th
  • Respiratory Disorders – 14th
  • Digestive Disorders – 18th
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery – 27th
  • Orthopedics – 28th

“We are honored to be listed alongside the top hospitals in the country,” said Daniel F. Evans, Jr., president and CEO, Clarian Health. “I’m extremely proud of the hard work by all our staff and physicians at Clarian and the IU School of Medicine to improve the health of our patients and our community. It’s their daily dedication to quality patient care that puts us in the national spotlight and underscores our designation as a preeminent health care system.”

“These rankings once again demonstrate the dedication to quality care and service by the Clarian Health and School of Medicine physicians and faculty, caregivers and staff. I commend all those who make this partnership a successful contributor to the health of Hoosiers,” said D. Craig Brater, M.D., dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine.

The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties were driven by data such as death rates, procedure volume, and balance of nurses and patients. In the four remaining specialties–ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology–hospitals were ranked on reputation alone.

To be considered in any of the 12 data-driven specialties, a hospital first had to meet at least one of four criteria: It had to be a teaching hospital, or be affiliated with a medical school, or have at least 200 beds, or have 100 or more beds and the availability of four or more types of medical technology considered important in a high-quality medical facility, such as a PET/CT scanner and certain precision radiation therapies. 

Next, the hospitals had to meet a volume requirement, individually calculated for each specialty. The required volume was the number of Medicare inpatients from 2006 to 2008 who had various specified procedures and conditions in the specialty. A hospital that fell short could still qualify if it had been nominated by at least one physician in any of the U.S. News Best Hospitals reputational surveys conducted in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

“When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for yourself or someone close to you,” said Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. “These hospitals are accustomed to seeing the sickest patients day in and day out.”