USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital placed among the best hospitals in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report magazine’s 20th annual rankings of “America’s Best Hospitals,” published in the July 21 issue.

USC-affiliated hospitals included in the rankings are: USC University Hospital, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, Doheny Eye Institute and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), staffed exclusively by USC faculty physicians, was recognized in June as a top children’s hospital.

The rankings are categorized by medical specialty, with the top 50 medical centers listed for most specialties.

USC University Hospital ranked 30th in gynecology, climbing 15 spots from last year, and 45th in neurology and neurosurgery—up three spots from a year ago. Doheny ranked eighth in ophthalmology. Rancho Los Amigos ranked 18th in rehabilitation, and USC Norris Cancer Hospital ranked 48th in cancer.

 “We’re extremely proud of our talented physicians, nurses and staff whose work and dedication to excellent patient care has been recognized nationwide,” said Mitchell R. Creem, chief executive officer of USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. “We also congratulate our colleagues at Childrens Hospital and Rancho Los Amigos for their achievements in excellence.”

On April 1, 2009, USC closed a historic deal to purchase the 411-bed USC University Hospital and 60-bed USC Norris Cancer Hospital from Tenet Healthcare Corp.

“The purchase of these two hospitals provides us an even greater opportunity to further expand and enrich our clinical services as we move into a new era of academic medicine,” Creem said. “Investments are now underway for refreshed facilities and amenities for our patients while we also add many new employees to accommodate growth.”

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles was one of only 10 children's hospitals in the nation—and the only pediatric medical center on the West coast—named to the national "Honor Roll" of children's hospitals in the United States. The ranking was published in the U.S. News & World Report 2009 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings.

“These rankings are a testament to the commitment to excellence exhibited by all our Keck School of Medicine faculty and all staff connected to the clinical enterprise,” said Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. “Congratulations to all on this important recognition.”

The Best Hospitals guide ranks 174 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties.

To be eligible for the rankings, a hospital must be a teaching hospital that has at least 200 beds, or has at least 100 beds plus several key medical technologies, and is nominated in the magazine’s annual specialist survey. Hospital reputation, death rate, patient safety, nurse staffing and technology are other factors taken into account.

In four specialties—including ophthalmology and rehabilitation—ranking is based solely on reputation, derived from the three most recent physician surveys.

The full list of hospital rankings and methodology is also available online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals. Full data is available online for another 1,500 hospitals that are unranked.