Six specialties at University of Virginia Children’s Hospital earned a top-50 national ranking in the 2018-2019 “Best Children’s Hospitals” guide from U.S. News & World Report.

The six ranked specialties are:

• Neonatology: 19th
• Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology: 33rd
• Pediatric Urology: tied for 38th
• Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery: tied for 41st
• Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery: 43rd
• Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery: 48th

The rankings are intended to “identify hospitals that provide the highest quality of care for children with the most serious or complicated medical conditions,” according to U.S. News.

“To have six specialties recognized nationally highlights the wide array of high-quality, advanced care for children that is available at UVA,” said Dr. James Nataro, MD, Ph.D., MBA, physician-in-chief at UVA Children’s Hospital. “I thank every member of our team for their commitment to our youngest patients.”

The publication’s rankings are based on several factors, including:

• Patient outcomes
• Availability of specialized care and advanced technologies
• Support services for patients and families
• Commitment to best practices, including measures to prevent infections
• A national survey of pediatric specialists

“The commitment of our multidisciplinary team to constantly seek ways to improve care for our patients and their families is reflected in these honors from U.S. News,” said Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace, chief executive officer of UVA Medical Center and its Children’s Hospital. “I congratulate our entire team at UVA Children’s Hospital for their hard work.”