UK Chandler Hospital ranked No. 1 in Kentucky by ‘U.S. News’

UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky, according to the 2012-13 Best Hospitals rankings published July 17, 2012, by U.S. News & World Report.

This is the first time state rankings have been included in the listing, giving consumers a way to compare hospitals close to home.

The orthopaedics program at UK Chandler Hospital was also recognized, ranked among the top 50 hospitals nationwide for orthopaedic care. And, UK Chandler Hospital was listed as “high-performing” in 10 specialty areas:

• Cancer 

• Diabetes and endocrinology 

• Ear, nose and throat 

• Gastroenterology 

• Geriatrics 

• Gynecology 

• Nephrology 

• Neurology and neurosurgery 

• Pulmonology 

• Urology 

Only 140 of the 4,825 hospitals nationwide are ranked in at least one medical specialty, placing UK Chandler Hospital in elite company.

“This acknowledges the hard work of our health care team in providing the highest quality patient care in the Commonwealth and our efforts to become one of the premier academic medical centers in the country,” said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs. “We are committed to offering world-class advanced subspecialty care such as transplants, complex cardiovascular surgeries, innovative cancer treatments and pediatric subspecialties so a patient and their family never have to leave their home state to receive even the most complex medical care.” 

Norton Healthcare in Louisville, with whom UK HealthCare is collaborating in several areas, was ranked No. 2 in Kentucky.

How the rankings are made 

U.S. News publishes the rankings each year to provide patients with a guide to the hospitals that are best equipped to care for challenging and complex medical conditions.

The federal government and medical centers themselves, including UK HealthCare, continue to publish more information about their performance and how effectively they treat patients.

As a result, U.S. News this year has adjusted its method for scoring and ranking hospitals. While a hospital’s reputation among medical specialists continues to account for about one-third of its score, the remainder is based on verifiable clinical measurements.

The rankings were published by U.S. News in collaboration with RTI International, a research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The complete rankings and methodology are available at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.  

Continued recognition 

Being named Kentucky’s No. 1 hospital is just the most recent example of how UK HealthCare is leading the way in patient care.

Other examples within just the last year include:

• The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association honored UK HealthCare with the Gold Plus Award. The award recognizes UK HealthCare’s commitment to treating stroke patients based on research and proven practices, which gives patients the best chance for survival and recovery.
• The National Association of Epilepsy Centers recognized the UK Comprehensive Epilepsy Center as a Level 4 Center. It is the second year UK HealthCare has received the highest level awarded by the national group.
• Doctors at the Gill Heart Institute performed the first known triple ablation surgery, used to help a heart maintain a natural rhythm.
• UK physicians implanted the first Total Artificial Heart in Kentucky. Fewer than 30 medical centers in the country are certified to perform the procedure.
• The new patient care pavilion at UK Chandler Hospital opened one of the country’s largest hybrid operating rooms – the first of its kind in the region – as well as eight new multipurpose operating rooms.
• Markey Cancer Center became the first medical center in the state to use tomosynthesis, a state-of-the-art three-dimensional imaging method, for breast cancer screening.

Visit our Awards page to see previous awards.

For more information: 

For information on any of our specialty programs, an appointment with a UK specialist or a second opinion, please call toll free 1-800-333-8874 or visit our home page at ukhealthcare.uky.edu.

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