Where Triangle hospitals land in new US News & World rankings
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Duke University Hospital and UNC Hospitals as the best hospitals in North Carolina.
The 2022 “Best Hospitals” report, released Tuesday, highlighted Duke University Hospital, University of North Carolina Hospitals, UNC Rex Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, ECU Health Medical Center, Atrium Health and others.
About 4,500 hospitals were included in these rankings. Across the 15 specialties used to determine rankings, only 164 performed well enough to be nationally ranked.
The top three hospitals in the nation were located in Minnesota (the Mayo Clinic in Rochester), California (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles) and New York (NYU Langone Hospitals in Manhattan), respectively.
“Hospitals are ranked from 1 to 50 in each specialty, with hospitals not in the top 50 but still in the top 10% of all rated hospitals receiving a designation of ‘high performing,’” the report’s methodology says.
For the full report, visit health.usnews.com/best-hospitals. For the methodology behind the rankings, visit health.usnews.com/health-care.
Here’s a look at how Triangle-area hospitals ranked. (Note: A number of hospitals shared a No. 3 overall ranking.)
Duke University Hospital ranked No. 1 in NC
The Durham-based hospital ranked No. 1 in the state overall.
“Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC is nationally ranked in 11 adult specialties and 9 pediatric specialties and rated high performing in 2 adult specialties and 20 procedures and conditions,” U.S. News & World Report said. “It is a general medical and surgical facility. It is a teaching hospital. The evaluation of Duke University Hospital also includes data from Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center.”
▪ Duke University Hospital ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation for ophthalmology (No. 6) and pediatric cardiology and heart surgery (No. 7).
▪ Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center was also ranked the top children’s hospital in the state. The hospital ranks No. 7 in the nation pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. It was also ranked the #4 children’s hospital in the southeast.
UNC Hospitals ranked No. 2 in North Carolina
The Chapel Hill-based hospital system ranked No. 2 overall for the state.
“University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC is nationally ranked in 4 adult specialties and 8 pediatric specialties and rated high performing in 4 adult specialties and 13 procedures and conditions,” U.S. News & World Report said. “It is a general medical and surgical facility. It is a teaching hospital. The evaluation of University of North Carolina Hospitals also includes data from North Carolina Children’s Hospital, UNC Health Care Hillsborough Campus, N.C. Women’s Hospital and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
▪ UNC Hospitals ranked among the top 20 hospitals in the nation for pediatric pulmonology and lung surgery (No. 12), pediatric diabetes and endocrinology (#14) and pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery (No. 20).
▪ UNC Children’s in Chapel Hill ranked as the second-best children’s hospital in the state and the No. 5 children’s hospital in the southeast. The hospital ranks No. 12 in the nation in pediatric pulmonology and lung surgery.
UNC Rex Hospital ranked No. 3 in North Carolina
The Raleigh-based hospital shared a No. 3 overall ranking in the state, and was also ranked #3 in the Raleigh/Durham area.
“UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC is rated high performing in 19 adult procedures and conditions,” U.S. News & World Report said. “It is a general medical and surgical facility.”
The hospital was ranked as “high performing” in a number of categories, including procedures and conditions related to cancer, cardiology and heart surgery.
Other hospitals receiving a No. 3 ranking in North Carolina:
Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital: The Greensboro-based hospital was ranked No. 1 in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area. The hospital was ranked as “high performing” in a number of categories, including gastroenterology & GI surgery.
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center: The Charlotte hospital is also nationally ranked in eight pediatric specialties.
ECU Health Medical Center: The Greenville hospital was listed as “high performing” in three specialties.
First Health Moore Regional Hospital: The Pinehurst hospital was listed as “high performing” in 17 procedures or conditions.
Duke Regional Hospital ranked No. 9 in North Carolina
The Durham-based hospital ranked No. 9 overall in the state and was also ranked No. 4 in the Raleigh/Durham area.
“Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, NC is rated high performing in 2 adult specialties and 11 procedures and conditions,” U.S. News & World Report said. “It is a general medical and surgical facility.”
The hospital was ranked as “high performing” in a number of categories, including gastroenterology and GI surgery.
Duke Regional Hospital was also named the nation’s second-most “socially responsible” hospital, according to a recent report by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit think tank. Duke Regional Hospital was one of just 66 hospitals, or less than 2%, that earned straight A rankings in all three of the Lown Institute’s key categories, The N&O previously reported.
WakeMed Raleigh Campus ranked No. 10 in North Carolina
The Raleigh-based hospital ranked No. 10 overall in the state and was ranked No. 5 in the Raleigh/Durham area.
“WakeMed Raleigh Campus in Raleigh, NC is nationally ranked in 1 adult specialty specialty and rated high performing in 10 adult procedures and conditions,” U.S. News & World Report said. “It is a general medical and surgical facility. The evaluation of WakeMed Raleigh Campus also includes data from WakeMed North Family Health and Women’s Hospital.”
WakeMed Raleigh was ranked No. 21 in the nation for rehabilitation.
NC gets top spot among nation’s safest hospitals
North Carolina has the nation’s safest hospitals, according to the Hospital Safety Grades report released in May by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit working to keep healthcare systems accountable.
The report says that 59.8% of hospitals in North Carolina received an A ranking — the top spot on the list. Last fall, North Carolina ranked No. 2 on this list, as 55.1% of hospitals in the state received an A ranking.
The following hospitals received A grades in spring 2022, The N&O previously reported:
▪ WakeMed Raleigh Campus. This is WakeMed Raleigh’s second A grade in a row, having also received an A in Leapfrog’s fall 2021 ratings.
▪ Duke Raleigh Hospital. Duke Raleigh has received straight A grades since at least spring 2018.
▪ UNC Rex Hospital. UNC Rex has received straight A grades since Leapfrog began the Hospital Safety Grade program in 2012.
▪ WakeMed Cary Hospital. This is WakeMed Cary’s second A grade in a row, having also received an A in Leapfrog’s fall 2021 ratings.
▪ WakeMed North Hospital. WakeMed North received its first rating from Leapfrog, also an A, in fall 2021.
▪ Duke University Hospital. This hospital has received A grades since fall 2018.
▪ Duke Regional Hospital. Duke Regional has received straight A grades since at least spring 2018.
One Triangle hospital, Johnston Health in Clayton, received a B grade. That’s down from the hospital’s previous A grade in fall 2021.
UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill received a C grade, its second in a row after also receiving a C in the fall 2021 ratings. The hospital had previously received A grades dating back to at least spring 2018.
Reporter Korie Dean contributed to this report.
