WVU Medicine Children’s named top children’s hospital in West Virginia, Pediatric Urology nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU Medicine Children’s has been named the top children’s hospital in West Virginia by U.S. News & World Report, which also ranked Children's Pediatric Urology Program 35th in the nation – up two spots from last year – marking the Program’s fourth consecutive national ranking.
“WVU Medicine Children’s has long been a point of pride in our Health System, and the Pediatric Urology Program is one of its crown jewels. Families from across the state, region, and country seek our providers out for their expertise, and in turn, they receive world-class healthcare,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the West Virginia University Health System, said. “I extend my most sincere thanks and congratulations to those who have made both of these recognitions possible.”
The annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings and ratings, now in their 15th year, are designed to assist patients, their families and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions.
“As we have expanded our physical footprint and our programmatic offerings, we have built a Children’s Hospital that provides a full range of medical and surgical care so that families do not have to leave the state or region to find care for their children,” Michael Ost, M.D., M.B.A., pediatric urologist and chief surgical integration officer for WVU Medicine Children’s, said. “The days of families traveling great distances to a premier institution are over. We have one right here in West Virginia.”
WVU Medicine Children’s has the only comprehensive pediatric urology service with fellowship-trained physicians in the state. The pediatric urologists at WVU Medicine Children’s have special expertise in the management of all congenital anomalies of the genitourinary system, kidney stones, neurogenic bladder, and dysfunctional voiding. It is also the state’s only pediatric urology practice offering robotic surgery.
“Recognitions like this one are the direct result of the hard work and dedication of our entire team, and we could not be more proud of the physicians, nurses, and staff members who comprise it,” Osama Al-Omar, M.D., M.B.A., chief of Pediatric Urology at WVU Medicine Children’s, said. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition and pledge to continue to provide high quality care to all of the patients who come to us for care.”
For 2021-22, U.S. News ranked the top 50 centers in each of these 10 pediatric specialties: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery; neonatology; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; pulmonology and lung surgery; and urology. Debuting this year, the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings featured expanded offerings that include state rankings and multi-state regional rankings.
“We don’t do what we do for the recognition. It’s very nice, and we’re honored to receive it. But, we do it because all of us in the Department feel a calling to provide cutting-edge care for complex urologic problems for every patient who walks through our doors,” Stanley Zaslau, M.D., chair of the WVU Department of Urology, said. “We are grateful for everyone who entrusts us with their care, and we appreciate this acknowledgement of our efforts.”
The Best Children’s Hospitals methodology factors objective measures such as patient outcomes, including mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices. To calculate the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, U.S. News gathered relevant data from children’s hospitals in early 2020 and from pediatric physicians and other healthcare organizations in 2021; because of the pandemic, data collection from children’s hospitals was not repeated in 2021.
“When choosing a hospital for a sick child, many parents want specialized expertise, convenience, and caring medical professionals,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said. “The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings have always highlighted hospitals that excel in specialized care. As the pandemic continues to affect travel, finding high-quality care close to home has never been more important.”
RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected and analyzed data from 118 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. More than 100 pediatric specialists and other experts provided input through methodology working groups.
This year’s rankings will be published in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2022” guidebook (ISBN 9781931469975), available in stores Oct. 5.
For more information on these rankings, visit Best Children’s Hospitals and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information on WVU Medicine Children’s, visit Childrens.WVUMedicine.org.
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