U.S. News ranks Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center as No. 1 hospital in Philadelphia

Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has been ranked highest in southern New Jersey - placing above all other southern New Jersey hospitals in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area of U.S. News & World Report's first-ever Best regional hospitals, available online at www.usnews.com/hospitals. Lourdes was 13th in the region and was also honored with having three specialty areas that ranked as "high performing." Those areas are Geriatrics, Kidney Disorders and Urology.

The new rankings identify the top 20 performing hospitals in each major metropolitan region. The Philadelphia region encompasses 91 hospitals within Philadelphia, southern New Jersey and Delaware. There are 5,000 hospitals nationwide.

U.S. News created Best Hospitals more than 20 years ago to identify hospitals exceptionally skilled in handling the most difficult cases, such as brain tumors typically considered inoperable and delicate pancreatic procedures.

The new metro area rankings are relevant to a much wider range of healthcare consumers. They are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked Best Hospital. Patients and their families will have a far better chance of finding a U.S. News-ranked hospital in their health insurance network and might not have to travel to get care at a high-performing hospital.

"Lourdes ranking in U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals demonstrates the commitment to quality care that our physicians, nurses and staff deliver to patients and their families every day," says Alexander J. Hatala, chief executive officer of Lourdes Health System. "This recognition validates to those in the South Jersey area and beyond that Lourdes patients will receive the outstanding care and commitment to excellence that they expect and deserve."

To be ranked in its metro area, a hospital had to score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of 16 medical specialties.

"All of these hospitals provide first-rate care for the majority of patients, even those with serious conditions or who need demanding procedures," says Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. "The new Best Hospitals metro rankings can tell you which hospitals are worth considering for most medical problems if you live in or near a major metro area."