U.S. News & World Report names Mayo Clinic among 2012 America's Best Hospitals

Mayo Clinic ranked near the top of the 23rd U.S. News & World Report annual America's Best Hospital list, earning the No. 3 overall spot on its "Best Hospitals" list. Mayo Clinic in Rochester also was rated best in the nation in three clinical areas -- gynecology, diabetes and endocrinology, and gastroenterology.

Hospitals included in the U.S. News Honor Roll, such as Mayo Clinic, are part of an elite group recognized for "breadth of excellence," according to the magazine. To make the magazine's "Honor Roll," a medical center must rank at or near the top in at least six of 16 specialties. Mayo Clinic made the top 10 in 15 of the 16 specialties. The rankings were announced today on U.S. News & World Report's website. Print editions will be on newsstands starting Aug. 30.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in eight of the 12 specialties measured based on reputation, services and volumes, safety and clinical outcomes. The eight specialties are: gynecology (1), diabetes and endocrinology (1), gastroenterology (1), nephrology (2), neurology (2), cardiology (2), pulmonology (2), and orthopedics (2). Mayo Clinic also took honors in urology (3), cancer (4), rheumatology (4), otolaryngology (6), rehabilitation (6), geriatrics (7), psychiatry (7), and ophthalmology (14).

New this year are state and regional rankings. Mayo Clinic took the No. 1 spot in Minnesota, ranked No. 2 in Arizona and in the Phoenix metro area, and landed in the No. 17 overall spot in Florida and ranked No. 4 among top hospitals in the Jacksonville area.

Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., received regional recognition as high performing in specialties including cancer, gastroenterology, geriatrics, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology.

Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., received national recognition in geriatrics (24) and nephrology (34). In addition, Mayo Clinic in Arizona was recognized as regionally high performing in cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, rheumatology, and urology.

"More than any other health care organizations, Mayo Clinic's model of care is defined by teamwork, with a group of experts focusing their expertise on one patient at a time. U.S. News is an important ranking that patients and Mayo Clinic take seriously," says John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "We are honored by this recognition, and we remain focused on our primary mission: putting the needs of our patients first and creating for them the best possible, most trusted and affordable model of health care for the future."

Many private organizations and government agencies recognize hospitals for high levels of quality and safety. Each uses its own assessment of what best determines hospital quality, and as a result, rankings often differ.

"Mayo Clinic is ranked highly by more of the well-known national ranking systems than any other major U.S. hospital or clinic, and we are proud to have been recognized by so many," Dr. Noseworthy says. "The endorsement reinforces our century-old commitment to providing the highest quality care to each patient every day."

Source: Mayo Clinic