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Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s named nation’s best hospital for pediatric cancer
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Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center has reclaimed its distinction as the No. 1 children’s hospital for cancer in the country.
The institution tops U.S. News & World Report’s list of best hospitals for pediatric cancer for 2019-2020. This is the ninth time in 10 years that Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s has placed first or second.
“We appreciate the U.S. News’s continued recognition of our program,” David A. Williams, MD, president of Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, said in a press release. “Our goal is to continue to improve treatment options and find more cures for children with cancer through our investment in research and through the use of new discoveries in our clinical setting. This ranking recognizes the superb care delivered by our clinicians, subspecialists and support staff in the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Boston Children’s Hospital, who deliver highly-personalized medicine to each patient.”
The 13th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings are intended to help families of children with life-threatening or rare conditions obtain the best possible medical care.
The rankings highlight the top 50 centers in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.
“We are truly honored to be recognized as the nation’s leader in caring for pediatric cancer patients and families,” Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said in the release. “We are singularly focused on finding cures for cancer and delivering the best possible clinical care backed by the latest innovations in cancer research, and this honor is an affirmation of the work of our faculty and staff.”
Other centers named to the top 10 for cancer care this year are St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Children’s National Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center finished atop the cancer-specific rankings last year.
Boston Children’s Hospital also topped the 2019-2020 U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll for the third straight year.
The honor roll recognizes pediatric centers that deliver exceptionally high-quality care across multiple specialties. Boston Children’s ranked first in five of the 10 specialties assessed: cancer, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and urology.
Other institutions in the top five of the honor roll are Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings take into account objective measurements such as clinical outcomes — including infection rates and mortality — as well as compliance with best practices and available clinical resources.
RTI International, a research and consulting firm in North Carolina, collected and analyzed data from children’s hospitals and also surveyed several thousand pediatric specialists. More than 100 experts — including medical directors and pediatric specialists — provided input through methodology working groups.
“While health care is rapidly changing, the objective of U.S. News’ Best Children’s Hospitals remains the same: provide families with a comprehensive and trusted starting point as they, in consultation with their doctors and other medical professionals, search for the pediatric care they need,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in a press release. “Our rankings, now in their 13th year, have always put parents and young patients at the front and center of our mission.”
For more information or to see the complete rankings, go to health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings.