U.S. News & World Report Ranks 4 Arkansas Children’s Specialties Among its 2021-22 List of Best Children’s Hospitals

Published date: June 15, 2021

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkansas Children’s in four specialties in the new 2021-22 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published online today.

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (June 15, 2021) – U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkansas Children’s in four specialties in the new 2021-22 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published online today.

The state’s only pediatric health system is proud to have the following programs ranked among the national list:

Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Nephrology
Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
Urology

“We are honored that U.S. News & World Report continues to highlight the outcomes Arkansas Children’s delivers for families,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, Arkansas Children’s President & CEO. “This type of national recognition is only possible because of our team’s innovation and commitment. This year, more than ever, our providers have stepped up to the challenge to help Arkansas cope with the pandemic response. The Arkansas Children’s team deserves every accolade as they strive daily to improve child health and make Arkansas a safer and healthier place to be a child.” The 15th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

This year, U.S. News & World Report also released regional rankings. Arkansas Children’s is ranked within the Southeast Region along with pediatric hospitals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A hospital’s regional ranking status is assessed by evaluating the total number of specialties the hospital was ranked in – better rankings are assigned to hospitals with more national rankings.

The rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The methodology factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices. 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.

The 2021 edition of “Best Children’s Hospitals” is published online at usnews.com/childrenshospitals and will be published in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2021 guidebook, which will be available later this summer. “Best Children’s Hospitals” pulls together clinical and operational data from an extensive survey, completed by 193 hospitals.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four pediatric subspecialties (2021—2022): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Pulmonology and Urology. ACH is one of only five hospitals in the nation that have achieved Magnet Status, ACS Level 1 verification and a Beacon award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, is a level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

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