By Haddon Libby
US News & World Report ranks hospitals in the United States from best to worst. Hospitals are ranked with a focus on more common ailments such as hip replacement or a heart issue over the ability to treat rare or uncommon conditions.
Here in Riverside County, Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage is the top-rated hospital due to its ‘High Performing’ ranking in twenty areas including geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics and cancers like colon, prostate, and lung. Eisenhower is not only the top-ranked hospital in our region, but 12th in the state. This hospital received Average or High Performing in all areas measured.
Loma Linda University Medical Center is ranked second in the county and is 41st in the nation at lung surgery and pulmonology. The hospital gets a ‘High Performing’ designation in eighteen areas including pneumonia, geriatrics, hip fractures, colon cancer and gastrointestinal issues. Be aware that the hospital gets below average ratings in surgery around the back or spine.
Tenet-operated Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs received a below average grade from US News & World Report. The hospital had two areas where it ranked as High Performing – heart failure and stroke. The hospital ranked as average in all other categories.
On the eastern end of the Coachella Valley, Tenet-operated John F Kennedy Hospital in Indio also received a below average grade. The hospital ranked poorly with nephrology and issues like kidney failure. Overall, the hospital ranked as average in most categories.
Outside of the importance for a strong local hospital people often want to find the best in the nation for treatment.
As it relates to cancer, the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center in Houston gets top marks. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City comes in second followed by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
For Cardiology, Heart and Vascular surgeries, the Cleveland Clinic ranks first followed by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
When recovering from a traumatic health event like those mentioned, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago gets the top rating followed by Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Charlestown, Massachusetts and Kessler Institute for Rehab in West Orange New Jersey
If diabetes is the issue, the Mayo Clinic gets top marks followed by NYU Langone Hospital in New York City and the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
For ear, nose, throat, head, neck and balance issues, Stanford Hospital in Northern California ranks first followed by the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The top hospitals for gastroenterology or digestive tract issues like colon cancer are the Mayo Clinic, Cedars Sinai and UCLA.
While the desert has top-tier geriatric care with Eisenhower, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City gets top marks followed by the Langone Hospital and UCLA.
For urological issues, Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City gets the top rating followed by the Cleveland Clinic and Langone Hospital.
When it comes to Alzheimers, dementia, epilepsy, or other neurology issues, the Langon hospital gets top marks with the UC-San Francisco Medical Center in San Francisco second and New York Presbyterian Hospital third.
For women’s issues like gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston comes in first followed by John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and the Mayo Clinic.
For eye issues, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami is top-ranked followed by Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and John Hopkins in Baltimore.
Top ranked in orthopedic and musculoskeletal issues is the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, Cedars-Sinai or the Mayo Clinic.
For psychiatry, McLean Hospital in Belmont Massachusetts gets the top rating followed by Massachusetts General in Boston and the New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.
