University of Colorado Hospital ranked best hospital in Colorado

U.S. News also ranks UCH in several national categories including #1 in respiratory care. Poudre Valley Hospital ranked #5 in Colorado.

Contact: Jacque Montgomery | 303-928-9093 | jacque.montgomery@ucdenver.edu

Aurora, Colo. (July 17, 2012) – U.S. News and World Report ranks five specialties at the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) as among the best in the nation including a #1 ranking for the hospital’s respiratory care.  The U.S. News Best Hospitals report also ranks UCH as the best hospital in Colorado and the best in the Denver Metro area.

U.S. News, whose rankings are a popular consumer source for gauging quality, scored UCH’s cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, rheumatology and kidney disorders programs among the top 50 in the United States. (See rankings, below)  UCH shares the honor of having the country’s best respiratory care with National Jewish Health.

UCH – currently the top performing academic hospital in the nation for quality and safety – is among only a handful of hospitals in the nation to rank nationally in multiple specialties.

“We’re thrilled as well as humbled,” said John Harney, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We’ve been ranked by the magazine for 18 consecutive years, but the recognition our physicians, nurses and staff receive for their great work is still exciting.”

UCH, moreover, is now part of University of Colorado Health (UCHealth), the new health care system that includes Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins and Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.  U.S. News recognized Poudre Valley Hospital as #5 in the state and Medical Center of the Rockies as #13 in Colorado.

“University of Colorado Health is comprised of some of the best hospitals in the nation,” said UCHealth CEO Bruce Schroffel.  “We’ve always said our goal is to marry the very best in academic medicine with the very best in community health care. Our shared vision is bringing this level of excellence to a growing number of Coloradoans along the Front Range.”

Last fall, University HealthSystems Consortium scored University of Colorado Hospital as the #1 performing academic hospital in quality. It was what Schroffel called at the time “our industry’s Academy Award,” putting the hospital solidly in the company of the biggest international names in health care.

U.S. News examined almost 5,000 hospitals across the nation including 30 in the Denver metro area to determine the best among 16 adult specialties.  Best Hospitals was created more than 20 years ago to identify hospitals exceptionally skilled in handling the most difficult cases, and this is the first year U.S. News has compiled state-wide rankings.

UCH is nationally ranked by U.S. News in five specialties:

• Pulmonology (1st)
• Kidney disorders (42nd)
• Rheumatology (17th)
• Diabetes & endocrinology (48^th)
• Cancer (33rd)

U.S. News recognizes UCH in nine other high-performing specialties:

• Cardiology & Heart Surgery
• Ear, Nose & Throat
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Gynecology
• Neurology & Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation
• Urology

For the full list of Colorado hospital rankings visit www.usnews.com/hospitals.

About University of Colorado Hospital
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading academic medical center.  It is recognized as the highest-performing academic hospital in the United States for delivering quality health care by the University HealthSystem Consortium, and is ranked as the best hospital in the Denver metro area and one of the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report.  UCH is best known as an innovator in patient care and often as one of the first hospitals to bring new medicine to the patients’ bedside.  UCH is one of three Colorado hospitals that make up University of Colorado Health.  The hospital’s physicians are affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, part of the University of Colorado system.  Based on the expansive Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, the hospital is where patient care, research and education converge to establish the future of health care delivery.  For additional information, please visit the University of Colorado Hospital media page.

–University of Colorado Health–