The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was ranked the third best hospital in the nation in the August issue of U.S. News & World Report.
The magazine, which also publishes annual rankings of America’s top universities, evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 specialties, ranging from cancer to urology. Factors such as death rates, patient safety, patient care and reputation were taken into account.
Fifteen specialties at the UCLA medical center were ranked in the top 20 nationwide. The geriatrics department was ranked the best in the U.S.
“I’m humbled to be part of such a great team. We have the absolute best doctors and nurses and health care professionals in the world,” said David Feinberg, chief executive and associate vice chancellor of the UCLA hospital system.
Feinberg said he was excited to hear about UCLA’s ranking, but added that his main focus lies outside of titles.
“We don’t live for the next ranking,” he said. “Our challenge is the very next patient that walks in the door.”
Patient satisfaction scores have skyrocketed in recent years, he said, and currently measure above 95 percent system-wide.
This is the third consecutive year the UCLA medical center has been ranked third best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and the 20th consecutive year it has been ranked the best hospital in the West, according to a university statement.
Feinberg attributed the hospital’s success partly to its being at the center of an academic environment.
“Being on campus and working with the Geffen School, public health, dentistry and nursing creates an incredible amount of synergy that allows people to come up with the new cures and treatments that we can then transfer to the patients we take care of,” he said.
Feinberg added that the medical center’s achievement is a reflection of the values of the whole university.
Andrea Palchak, a second-year ecology, behavior and evolution student, said she believes the hospital’s ranking will add to the university’s prestige.
“I think people will see it and say, “˜Hey, I want to be a doctor, and the UCLA medical center is the best, so I should go to UCLA,'” she said.
While Palchak said she realizes an institution can’t be summarized by facts and figures alone, she said the medical school’s ranking is proof of the great effort and ability of its staff.
“You really have to do the work, to make the difference, if you want to be able to say you’re number one or three or five,” she said.
Looking forward, Feinberg said the biggest obstacle facing the 520-bed Ronald Reagan medical center is capacity.
The new hospital, which opened its doors just over a year ago, is now completely booked with patients.
“We need to figure out how to grow. The community is saying they want care at UCLA, and we need to figure out how to match the demand,” Feinberg said.