The University of Washington Medical Center is the best hospital in the state and among the top in the nation for several specialty categories, according to a ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
The teaching hospital, which was founded in 1959, did not make the publication’s “honor roll” of 21 hospitals ranked by their skill in specialty, procedure and condition, but the Medical Center shines as the best in Washington.
When it comes to specialties, the hospital is ranked among the nation’s best in six categories:
- Rehabilitation (5)
- Diabetes and endocrinology (8)
- Cancer (15)
- Geriatrics (29)
- Gynecology (37)
- Ear, nose and throat (47)
The medical center also was deemed “high performing” — which means it does not rank in the top 50 but is significantly better than average — in aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure and lung cancer surgery.
Virginia Mason Medical Center is the only other local hospital to earn national recognition in a specialty, ranking 39th in gastroenterology and gastroenterology surgery.
The hospital was deemed high performing in nearly every category, however, scoring as such in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. Virginia Mason was deemed average in the remaining procedure category, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.