A new report says Cincinnati Children's Hospital is the best in the country for pediatric care.
The U.S. News and World Report 2023-2024 Best Children's Hospitals ranking puts Cincinnati Children's No. 1 in the nation based on patient outcomes and safety, diversity training and other factors.
In addition to its overall ranking, the hospital was top 10 in 10 specialty categories and first place in four, including pediatric cancer treatment, neonatology, pediatric diabetes and endocrinology and pediatric urology.
"We are incredibly proud and honored to be recognized as the best pediatric hospital in the nation," Cincinnati Children's President and CEO Steve Davis said in a news release. "This distinction only confirms what we have always known — that we have outstanding, talented team members who are unmatched in their dedication to ensuring that all children have access to exceptional care. Our people are — and have always been — innovators, teachers, collaborators and compassionate caregivers, and they lead the way in helping kids achieve their full potential."
Davis credited the hospital's staff of 18,000 employees and the work of past and present leadership for the distinction. Children's has landed in the top 10 of the rankings every year for years, but this is the first time it has been given the top spot. He also said a change in criteria by U.S. News and World Report to include diversity practices, health outcomes and other considerations helped Cincinnati secure its ranking.
The announcement comes as U.S. News and World Report experiences some controversy around its methodology and results. On Tuesday, the San Francisco City Attorney's Office sent a letter announcing it is investigating the ranking system's financing, its methods and questions about bias, USA Today reports. That investigation could lead to legal action, the city's attorney says.
The office questions U.S. News' standing to issue the rankings, saying they don't give enough weight to expert input and could incentivize hospitals to prioritize specialty treatments and care — most often utilized by white communities — over care needed by communities of color. The city wants the publication to disclose whether and how much hospitals pay to feature the rankings on marketing materials.
The questions come after some law schools and medical schools have refused to participate in the ranking process, citing their own concerns with U.S. News' methodology. The publication has issued its rankings since 1990. It began ranking pediatric hospitals in 2007.
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At a news conference Wednesday, Cincinnati Children's President and CEO Davis said he believes the U.S. News and World Report rankings are "by far the best out there."
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval joined hospital officials at an announcement of the results today.
"We can talk about awards, we can talk about a lot of things," DeWine said. "But when you bring a child or have a grandchild who comes into a children's hospital such as Cincinnati Children's Hospital, quite candidly, all you care about is that child."