Arkansas Children's Ranks as Top Heart Program in a 300-Mile Region in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals List

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Oct. 8, 2024) – Arkansas Children’s Heart Institute ranked higher than any other pediatric cardiology program in a 300-mile region on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of Best Children’s Hospitals, published today.

The finding is just one of multiple rankings that underscore how Arkansas Children’s offers a level of capabilities, resources and expertise that can’t be found elsewhere in the region.

Arkansas Children’s continued an annual streak on the list, with a total of seven pediatric specialties ranked among the best programs in the nation. The distinctions indicate Arkansas Children’s offers world-class care provided by nationally respected clinical leaders at its hospitals in Little Rock and Springdale and programs and clinics statewide.

Arkansas Children’s Heart Institute jumped more than 20 spots on this year’s Cardiology & Heart Surgery list, ranking at no. 23, its best placement and higher than any pediatric heart program in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. The health system’s neurology and neurosurgery and cancer and blood disorders programs also scored their highest-ever rankings, and the state’s only Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit joined the list this year.

“Arkansas Children’s ambitious vision of defining and delivering unprecedented child health drives team members from across every area of our system to excel day in and out,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president & CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “The rankings validate that our efforts are moving the needle in the right direction. We are proud of the commitment of our team and our community partners that help us move toward a future where Arkansas can become the safest and healthiest place to raise a child.”

The national rankings reflect contributions from nearly every department in the Arkansas Children’s system, as teams focus on delivering better access, exceptional outcomes and improved on-campus experiences.

The expert opinions of pediatric specialists from across the nation factor heavily in the rankings, as do resources including technologies and treatments available.

The 18th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 11 pediatric specialties: behavioral health, cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

Arkansas Children’s also ranked 7th in regional rankings released by U.S. News & World Report today. 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 nationally ranked service lines.

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 2024-2025 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals is posted online at usnews.com/childrenshospitals.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only health care system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 850,000 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); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2024-2025): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Neonatal Care, Nephrology, Orthopedics and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery. 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.