Seven UF Health specialties among nation’s best in new U.S. News hospital rankings
UF photo shows UF Health Shands Hospital, upper left, and UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital, lower right, at sunrise.
University of Florida (UF) Health News
By Bill Levesque
Gainesville, Florida — Seven University of Florida Health Shands Hospital medical specialties are ranked among the best in the nation, once again marking UF Health as an elite health system, according to the 2024-25 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” report.
The specialties recognized by U.S. News are neurology and neurosurgery (No. 33); otolaryngology, also known as ear, nose, and throat (No. 35); urology (No. 38); obstetrics and gynecology (No. 41); geriatrics (No. 43); orthopaedics (No. 46); and pulmonology and lung surgery (No. 48), its 15th consecutive year ranked among the nation’s best.
U.S. News surveyed about 4,500 eligible hospitals. Of those, just 160 are ranked in the nation’s top 50 in at least one specialty.
“We are deeply honored to have so many of our specialties recognized by U.S. News for the elite level of care they provide patients,” said Stephen J. Motew, M.D., M.H.A., president and CEO of UF Health’s clinical enterprise.
“This speaks volumes about the skill and tireless dedication of every member of our health care team,” he added. “Their multidisciplinary care brings to bear systemwide expertise across UF Health’s hospitals and practices, allowing us to provide a level of comprehensive and compassionate care unequaled in Florida.”
Additionally, the adult specialties of cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, and gastrointestinal and gastrointestinal surgery were rated as “high performing.” That means they were ranked among the top 10% nationally.
UF Health Shands is also “high performing” in 17 adult procedures and treated conditions. Those are acute kidney failure; aortic valve surgery; colon cancer surgery; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD; gynecological cancer surgery; heart attack; heart failure; hip fracture; hip replacement; knee replacement; leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma; lung cancer surgery; pneumonia; prostate cancer surgery; spinal fusion; stroke; and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
UF Health Jacksonville is recognized for six “high performing” procedures and treated conditions: acute kidney failure, COPD, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia.
U.S. News uses a complex formula to rank hospitals using a wide array of data from multiple sources, including the hospitals surveyed, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and others. U.S. News measures patient outcomes, including the average discharge to home and mortality rates, nurse staffing, patient experience, expert opinion, and many other metrics.
U.S. News’ 2023-24 pediatric survey, released last year, ranked four UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital specialties in the nation’s top 50 programs: diabetes and endocrinology (No. 10), pulmonology and lung surgery (No. 24), cardiology and heart surgery (No. 26), and neonatology (No. 35).
About UF Health
UF Health is the world-class academic health center of the University of Florida, ranked as the country’s No. 1 public university by The Wall Street Journal. UF Health combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with outstanding clinical care at a network of hospitals throughout the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital, part of Florida’s preeminent health system, which is perennially ranked among the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville as well as regional sites in Central Florida, St. Augustine, Jupiter, and more, UF Health provides quality health care to patients across the nation’s third-most populous state. UF Health consists of six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, 12 hospitals, 115 physician medical practices, and a host of outpatient services.