Valley Children’s Hospital earns national honors in six care specialties
Valley Children’s Hospital was named among the Best Children’s Hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, earning top-50 rankings from the publication for six separate specialties.
The 2022-23 rankings for the hospital, located in Madera County near Highway 41 and just north of Fresno, included:
- 21st for pediatric orthopedics
- 29th for pediatric pulmonology/lung surgery
- 30th nationally for neonatology
- 33rd for pediatric neurology/neurosurgery
- 29th for pediatric urology
- 44th in pediatric gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery
It’s the seventh year that Valley Children’s has been included in the U.S. News rankings. The hospital received Top 50 honors for seven specialties in the 2020-21 rankings last year, dropping off the list for pediatric diabetes/endocrinology this year.
“There is no greater responsibility than to care for the health of kids by providing the highest level of care that is safe and among the best in the country. It is what we are here to do,” said Dr. David Christensen, Valley Children’s senior vice president, chief physician executive and president of Valley Children’s Medical Group.
In its analysis, U.S. News considers a range of measures including patient outcome, mortality and infection rates, clinical resources and compliance with best practices. U.S. News began ranking children’s hospitals in 2007.
“When choosing a hospital for a sick child, many parents want specialized expertise, convenience and caring medical professionals,” U.S. News managing editor and health analysis chief Ben Harder said last year. “The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings have always highlighted hospitals that excel in specialized care.”
U.S. News also ranked Valley Children’s as the seventh-best children’s hospital in California and ninth-best in the Pacific region.
Valley Children’s president/CEO Todd Suntrapak also acknowledged the challenges of providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic that reached the central San Joaquin Valley 15 months ago.
“In our 70th year—and through the challenges of the pandemic—these rankings are especially significant to Valley Children’s, our patients and their families, our team and our communities,” said Suntrapak.
This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Valley Children’s Hospital earns national honors in six care specialties."
