Mayo Clinic Named to U.S. News Best Hospitals List for 22nd Year

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

ROCHESTER, Minn. — U.S. News & World Report has named Mayo Clinic to its annual list of "Best Hospitals" for the 22nd year. Hospitals included in the Honor Roll, such as Mayo Clinic, are part of a small group recognized for "breadth of excellence," according to the magazine. The rankings were announced today on U.S. News & World Report's website. Print editions will be on newsstands starting Aug. 30.

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To make the magazine's "Honor Roll," a medical center has to rank at or near the top in at least six of the 16 specialties included in the rankings. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was ranked in the top five in 12 of the 16 specialties, in the top three in 10 specialties, and No. 1 in four specialties: diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, gynecology and kidney disease and disorders. U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on factors such as reputation, mortality index, patient safety, nurse staffing and Magnet status, patient services and technology. Mayo Clinic was ranked among the top five in 11 of the 12 specialties that factor volumes, outcomes, technology and safety metrics into the rankings.

Mayo Clinic in Florida was nationally ranked in cancer (#46) and gastroenterology (#39) and Mayo Clinic in Arizona was nationally ranked in gastroenterology (#40), gynecology (#35) and nephrology (#29). In rankings earlier this year by major metropolitan area, Mayo Clinic in Arizona ranked No. 2 overall in the Phoenix market, while Mayo Clinic in Florida is No. 1 overall in the Jacksonville market.

"Our employees work diligently every day to make each patient's experience the best it can be, and that's reflected in the fact that we consistently rank highly in measures such as these that patients rely on to make decisions about health care," says John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "At Mayo Clinic, we have a deep commitment to delivering high-value health care that best meets patients' needs. And we owe our success to truly dedicated staff working together with an unwavering focus on the patient that I believe is unmatched, anywhere."

Dr. Noseworthy notes that the U.S. News & World Report ranking is an important measure, but not the only mark of Mayo's performance. Internal measures aimed at improving quality, safety, service and outcomes remain an important emphasis for 2011. And Mayo continues its focus on gauging patient satisfaction and using those metrics for additional improvement efforts.

"This is an important ranking that patients and Mayo Clinic take seriously. It's one of the ways that patients and Mayo Clinic measure our performance," Dr. Noseworthy says. "But we also know that we can never be satisfied and that to meet the needs of tomorrow's patients, we need to keep our focus on the future of health care."

The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 hospitals nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or ranked among the best hospitals in its metro area.

Mayo Clinic is investing in programs and facilities to maintain its position as a top choice for patients who need specialty care. Examples include establishing the Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Program as part of Mayo's national three-site cancer center; the creation of the Healthy Aging & Independent Living (HAIL) Lab, a lab of the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation (CFI), with additional Mayo Clinic collaborators from the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Charter House and external collaborators, doing research that will help seniors remain at home, healthy and independent; opening a new radiation therapy facility in Northfield, Minn., to expand opportunities for cancer care in the region; and development of a network of affiliated providers bringing Mayo Clinic's knowledge and expertise to patients who might not otherwise have access to Mayo Clinic.

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