University News

U.S. News Names UVA Health Children’s No. 1 in Virginia

For the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has named UVA Health Children’s, part of UVA Health, the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia.

The publication’s 2024-25 “Best Children’s Hospitals” guide ranks eight UVA Health Children’s specialties among the top 50 nationally. The eight ranked specialties are:

Neonatology (critical care for infants): 26th
Pediatric nephrology (kidney care): 28th
Pediatric cardiology and heart surgery: 33rd
Pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery (digestive health): 43rd
Pediatric pulmonology and lung surgery: 43rd
Pediatric orthopedics: 46th
Pediatric neurology and neurosurgery: 48th
Pediatric diabetes and endocrinology: 49th

“These sterling rankings from U.S. News & World Report reflect the commitment and compassion of our entire UVA Health Children’s team as they serve patients from every region of Virginia and beyond,” said Dr. K. Craig Kent, UVA Health’s chief executive officer and UVA’s executive vice president for health affairs. “As we continue implementing our 10-year strategic plan, we are working diligently to make this world-class care available to even more families across the commonwealth.”

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals guide recognizes hospitals providing excellent care for children with the most serious or complex health care needs. The publication’s criteria include patient outcomes, patient safety and access to specialized clinics and programs, along with a national survey of pediatric specialists.

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“I’ve seen firsthand the incredible skill and tremendous specialized care that our team provides for patients and their families every day,” said Dr. Madhusmita Misra, chair of UVA’s Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief for UVA Health Children’s. “These awards have been truly earned, and it is an honor for me to be part of this team.”

UVA Health Children’s continues to see more patients each year and has added more inpatient beds and physicians to meet the community’s growing needs. The UVA Department of Pediatrics has added 18 physicians in the past three years, while three additional physicians were added to the newly established pediatric emergency department at UVA Health University Medical Center in the last year.

Additional specialized care for children and families is coming later this year through a partnership with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to open the UVA Health Children’s Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Health clinic in Albemarle County.

“There is a growing need for both behavioral health and neurodevelopmental care for children in our community,” Wendy Horton, UVA Health University Medical Center’s chief executive officer, said. “This new clinic highlights how hard our UVA Health Children’s team is working to provide the best care for children and their families and I am equally proud of our fourth consecutive U.S. News & World Report ranking as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia.”