U.S. News & World Report ranks UCLA Medical Center No. 1 in Calif., No. 5 nationally

The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was given a nod of approval in the U.S. News & World Report annual ranking.

The UCLA Medical Center was named the best hospital in California and the fifth best hospital in the country when the list was released on July 16. Out of about 5,000 hospitals nationwide, UCLA placed in the top .1 percent. The hospital placed fifth in the nation last year as well.

The ranking of the 456-bed general medical and surgical facility took categories such as survival rates and patient safety into consideration. Also, 14 of the hospital’s 16 adult specialties were given national rankings ““ geriatrics was ranked third in the nation.

“We’re incredibly proud, but that’s not why we get up every morning,” said Dr. David T. Feinberg, president of UCLA Health System and CEO of UCLA Hospital System. “The ranking that matters the most to us is what our patients have to say to us.”

UCLA Health System is ranked No. 1 in patient satisfaction in the nation, he said. The rankings are made by asking patients to rate the hospital on scale of one to 10 and if they would recommend the hospital to a friend.

When the hospital takes care of patients, the rankings take care of themselves, Feinberg said.

The teaching hospital received 43,387 emergency room visits this year, according to the rankings report. Additionally, 10,869 annual inpatient and 15,891 outpatient surgeries were performed over this past year.

UC San Francisco, the only other California-based hospital on the list, came in at No. 13.

For the first time in 21 years, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was overtaken for first place by Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic were also ranked higher than UCLA.

Compiled by Erin Donnelly, Bruin senior staff.

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