Washington, D.C. – June 27, 2017 - More Arkansas children with special healthcare needs are receiving world-class care than ever before, according to U. S. News & World Report rankings released today that put four Arkansas Children’s Hospital specialties among the nation’s top programs.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkansas Children’s Hospital in four specialties – the most ever – in its new 2017-18 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published online today.

The Arkansas Children’s specialties highlighted include:

  • Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery, ranked No. 37
  • Neonatology, ranked No. 38
  • Pediatric Pulmonology, ranked No. 47
  • Pediatric Urology, ranked No. 48

“Arkansas Children’s has an unyielding commitment to placing children at the very center of everything we do,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, Arkansas Children’s president & CEO. “We’re thrilled by the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, which include more of our programs than ever before. This is evidence that we remain steadfast in our mission of championing children.”

U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. They are the only comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric centers.

The 11th annual rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties, including cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.

“The pediatric centers we rank in Best Children’s Hospitals deliver exceptionally high-quality care and deserve to be recognized for their commitment,” said U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. “Children with life-threatening illnesses or rare conditions need the state-of-the-art services and expertise these hospitals provide every day.”

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The rankings methodology considers clinical outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, efficiency and coordination of care delivery and compliance with "best practices.”

Survival rates, adequacy of nurse staffing, procedure and patient volume, availability of programs for particular illnesses and conditions and much more can be viewed on http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings

This year’s rankings will be published in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2018” guidebook and available on newsstands Sept. 12. Visit Best Children’s Hospitals for the complete rankings and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.

About Arkansas Children’s

Arkansas Children’s, Inc. is the only hospital system in the state solely dedicated to caring for children, which allows the organization to uniquely shape the landscape of pediatric care in Arkansas. The system includes a 359-bed hospital in Little Rock with the state’s only pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center, burn center, Level 4 neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care, and research institute as well as a nationally-recognized transport service. It is one the 25 largest children’s hospitals in the United States and is nationally ranked by U.S. News World & Report in pulmonology and neonatal care. A sister campus is under development in Northwest Arkansas and will bring 233,613 square feet of inpatient beds, emergency care, clinic rooms and diagnostic services to children in that corner of the state. A private nonprofit, Arkansas Children’s boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward-thinking research and is committed to providing every child with access to the best care available, regardless of location or resources. Founded as an orphanage, Arkansas Children’s has championed children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow for more than 100 years. For more info, visit www.archildrens.org.

About U.S. NEWS

U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

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