Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) continues its streak of being California’s top hospital for pediatric care and specialty services, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospitals list, published today.
U.S. News has again ranked CHLA as the top children’s hospital in California and in the survey’s Pacific U.S. region—which encompasses Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. CHLA also made the publication’s annual Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals for the 14th consecutive year—every year since its inception—finishing No. 8 in the United States in this showcase of the nation’s leading destinations for pediatric medical care.
“Being recognized among the nation’s very best children’s hospitals for well over a decade is a confirmation of the longstanding mission of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to provide superior clinical care that creates hope and builds healthier futures for children,” says CHLA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul S. Viviano. “I am especially proud of our team for continuing to deliver outstanding, essential and equitable care for children over the past two years. They have persevered with compassion and professionalism even in the face of the ongoing pandemic and all the challenges it has placed on health care systems nationwide.”
Families seeking the best care for their children can be confident in the world-class expertise and family-centered care provided by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospitals survey evaluated 119 pediatric hospitals—including freestanding institutions like CHLA, children’s hospitals that are part of a larger health system, and specialty pediatric centers. Each was scored according to quality and safety performance benchmarks, research, peer recognition, certifications, and data provided by the hospital. They also considered third-party measures and distinctions, such as Magnet recognition for nursing excellence. CHLA received exceptional marks and was nationally ranked in all 10 pediatric subspecialties assessed by the survey, including top-10 recognition in four categories—Diabetes & Endocrinology (No. 7), Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (No. 6), Orthopedics (No. 6) and Urology (No. 7). Other specialties that were nationally ranked included: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is world-renowned for providing superior clinical care; creating lifesaving discoveries for new treatments and cures for childhood diseases through research conducted at The Saban Research Institute of CHLA; and operating one of the largest training programs in the country for pediatric physicians, nurses and other specialists. With more than 660,000 patient visits annually, CHLA cares for children ranging from newborn infants to young adults, coming from all 50 states and 90 countries.
In January, CHLA was redesignated a third time as a Magnet® hospital by the by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recognizing the hospital’s nurses and clinical team members for meeting and exceeding the highest standards of care for patients and their families. In total, CHLA has been conferred Magnet status four consecutive times, an accomplishment less than 3% of the 6,090 hospitals in the U.S. have achieved.
“These rankings are a clear way for families to see CHLA’s deep expertise in providing every patient with the highest quality, kid-friendly care, no matter their diagnosis,” says CHLA Chief Medical Officer James Stein, MD, MSc. “Everyone—from our frontline doctors, nurses and specialists to our behind-the-scenes facilities and other supporting team members—is united in our commitment to guide every patient with knowledge and compassion.”
U.S. News and World Report works with research firm RTI International to develop its annual Best Children’s Hospitals list. Rankings are based on hundreds of data points, including patient survival and surgical complication rates; staffing levels and expertise; technology; specialty services; infection prevention and delivery of care. Another major component is a nationwide reputation survey asking doctors where they would send their children and patients for the very best care.
This year, U.S. News revised the survey to greater address the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals and to gauge how hospitals are advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, which can greatly influence care. U.S. News and RTI also began testing questions this year focused on behavioral health. While data collected from these test questions did not factor into the 2022-23 rankings, they will support the development of a future specialty ranking in pediatric and adolescent behavioral health.
In the past two years, recognizing that children have been incredibly hard-hit by the impact of the pandemic, CHLA launched considerable measures to address behavioral health in our pediatric patients, including:
Creating a comprehensive Behavioral Health Institute to enhance behavioral and mental health care for every patient treated at CHLA
Opening the CHLA Developmental and Behavioral Health Center, which accepts all insurance plans
Embedding infant mental health specialists in the Neonatal and Infant Critical Care Unit and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit
Increasing psychiatrists and social workers in the Emergency Department and inpatient medical units
Helping integrate behavioral health specialists within dozens of Southern California private practice pediatricians who are CHLA Care Network partners to provide early screening and intervention
U.S. News Media Group, the parent company of U.S. News & World Report, published the 2022-23 hospital rankings just after midnight EST on Tuesday, June 14.
