Best hospitals
U.S. News & World Report lauds urology and gynecology programs
July 16, 2009
University of California, Irvine Medical Center again has been ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This marks the medical center’s ninth consecutive year on the “America’s Best” list. Among the top 50 hospitals, UC Irvine is listed 18th for urology and 29th for gynecology. The annual report hits newsstands July 21 and is available online now.
“This recognition reflects our commitment to provide Orange County with the highest-quality healthcare available,” said Terry A. Belmont, CEO of UC Irvine Medical Center. “Our reputation as one of the nation’s best hospitals is a testament to UC Irvine’s talented and dedicated faculty, nurses and staff.”
U.S. News & World Report ranks hospitals on their ability to treat the most challenging cases. Using methodology created by RTI International, the magazine assesses a hospital’s reputation, mortality rate and patient care services. Additional points are awarded for Magnet status or designation as a Level I trauma center—both of which apply to UC Irvine Medical Center.
This year, U.S. News & World Report evaluated 4,861 hospitals nationally for excellence in treating complex cases through research, advanced procedures and comprehensive patient care within a specialty. Of those, only 174, or 3.5 percent, met the standard in one or more specialties.
UC Irvine’s ranking in urology can be attributed, in part, to the strong reputation of the unit’s highly trained doctors. They were among the first in the nation to use robotic surgery to treat prostate cancer and lead the way in new, minimally invasive surgery techniques.
In gynecology, UC Irvine’s multidisciplinary team of specialists is world renowned for treating cancers, diseases of the reproductive tract and complicated pregnancies.
The new UC Irvine Douglas Hospital opened in March 2009 and includes spacious, private rooms, 15 state-of-the-art operating rooms and 191 beds. Intensive care units, treatment rooms, laboratories and surgical suites were carefully designed to advance the university’s educational mission and ability to provide bench-to-bedside research and leading-edge care. The hospital will add 45 more patient rooms, four operating rooms and a new radiology lab by late 2011.
To access the 2009 version of “America’s Best Hospitals,” visit U.S. News & World Report at http://health.usnews.com/besthospitals.
About UC Irvine Medical Center: UC Irvine Medical Center is Orange County’s only university research hospital, Level I trauma center, American College of Surgeons-verified regional burn center and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. It offers acute- and general-care service at its new 482,000-square-foot UC Irvine Douglas Hospital.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit today.uci.edu.
News Radio: UC Irvine maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.