University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, recognized as the ‘Best Hospital’ in the Minneapolis- St. Paul metro area
March 29, 2011 – University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, has been ranked as the No. 1 hospital in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area by U.S. News & World Report in its first-ever Best Hospitals metro area rankings. Among the 38 hospitals in the Twin Cities metro, the medical center led the list of 12 hospitals that received top rankings.
The report ranks hospitals first by the number of nationally ranked specialties at the hospital and then by the number of other specialties in which it was among the top 25 percent nationally. University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview was recognized for its national rankings in the areas of cancer; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology, kidney disorders; orthopaedics; and pulmonology.
Fairview Southdale and Fairview Ridges hospitals also made the list, ranking fifth and 10th, respectively. The new rankings recognize 622 hospitals in or near major cities, including 132 of the 152 hospitals already identified as the best in the nation. There are nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide.
U.S. News created its “Best Hospitals” rankings 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 intended to be relevant to a much wider range of health care consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked “Best Hospital”. U.S. News and World Report aims to provide patients and their families with a better chance of finding a top-performing hospital within their health insurance network, as well as a local alternative (or several) to having to travel to a nationally ranked hospital.
Of the 62 nationally ranked “Best Children's Hospitals,” University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital ranked No. 1 among the three children’s hospitals in the Twin Cities metro area. The most recent “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings were released in June 2010.
