Va. children’s hospitals get kudos in national rankings

Eight children’s hospitals in Virginia received recognition Tuesday in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings of the top pediatric facilities in the nation, regions and states.

First in the state and seventh in the mid-Atlantic region is the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, which was ranked nationally in five pediatric specialities: neonatology, pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes, orthopedics and urology.

“Earning these honors takes tremendous dedication by our team of exceptionally skilled and compassionate providers,” said Dr. James Nataro, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at UVA Children’s. “I am proud every day to work alongside this team and witness the compassionate, excellent care they provide to our young patients and their families.”

Second in the state is the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, which reached 10th place in the region. It is nationally ranked in four specialties, including urology, pulmonology, nephrology and cancer.

“When families need medical care for their kids, they want nothing less than the best — and that’s exactly what they find at CHoR,” CEO Elias Neujahr said in a statement. “Our community and our nation faced many challenges over the past year, but this recognition underscores that through it all, these teams never paused in caring, researching, growing and giving their all to make sure the health of our kids comes first.”

Inova Children’s Hospital in Falls Church is ranked third in Virginia and 13th in the mid-Atlantic region, and it is nationally ranked for its neonatology program.

The other regionally recognized (but unranked) pediatric hospitals include: Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital in Roanoke, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s Brook Road campus, the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in Staunton and the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent County.

U.S. News & World Report ranks children’s hospitals based on how they score on 10 specialties; for the 2021-22 rankings, 118 hospitals submitted medical data, and 89 were ranked in one or more specialty.

For more information about the rankings, visit this site.