Patient Care
U.S. News Ranks Golisano Children’s Hospital among Nation’s Best
URMC’s Neonatal, Pediatric Neuromedicine and Pediatric Orthopedics programs listed
Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has been named among the nation’s best hospitals for neonatology, pediatric orthopaedics, neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report. The annual rankings, which will be published in the 2011 edition of America’s Best Hospitals Aug. 30, are based on data submitted by nearly 180 pediatric institutions nationwide.
Golisano Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a level IIID facility, the highest rated by the American Academy of Pediatrics and state designation – the only one of its kind in the Finger Lakes region. It ranked #50 in the nation. URMC’s reputation for excellence in care for Child Neurology and Pediatric Neurosurgery brings children and families from across the country for the treatment of Tourette syndrome and neurodegenerative disorders. Those programs ranked #48 in the nation. Its Pediatric Orthopaedic division, which ranked #49, has expanded exponentially to meet demand for its highly specialized care of scoliosis and spinal and ribcage deformities.
“We are delighted that Golisano Children's Hospital has – again – been recognized nationally for the expert care we are known for regionally,” said Nina F. Schor, M.D., Ph.D., chair of URMC’s Department of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief of Golisano Children’s Hospital. “We are able to provide this top-notch care because of the collaboration among the Departments of Pediatrics, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Ronald McDonald House and the community.”
Golisano Children's Hospital serves more than 70,000 children from the 17-county Finger Lakes region and beyond every year – both as inpatients and outpatients. It houses 124 beds and 34 pediatric specialties and subspecialties, including Neonatology, Pediatric Orthopaedics, Child Neurology and Pediatric Neurosurgery.
The biggest and one of the busiest units in the children’s hospital, the 52-bed NICU is the major referral center for sick and premature infants in the Finger Lakes region, caring for one of every 13 babies born in the region – or about 1,100, annually. In addition to providing clinical care, the Division of Neonatology leads robust clinical, educational and research programs.
“Our Neonatal team, supported by many divisions within the Department of Pediatrics and URMC, has been working very hard to improve outcomes for our fragile patients,” said William Maniscalco, M.D., chief of Neonatology and professor of Pediatrics. “We’re gratified for national recognition of both our outstanding care, which helps our patients grow into healthy children, and our important research, which improves the lives of newborns everywhere.”
The Child Neurology division sees about 3,500 pediatric patients every year; many come from across the region but some come from other countries to see the hospital’s experts in movement disorders and rare neurodegenerative diseases, such as Batten Disease.
“The University of Rochester Medical Center has a long history of achievements in Child Neurology and has become a destination for families searching for the best possible care for their children,” said Steven A. Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at URMC. “Our chief of pediatric neurology, Dr. Jonathan Mink, is one of the finest pediatric neurologists in the country, and the premier expert in the U.S. on pediatric movement disorders; he has built a division that has become a magnet for families nation-wide.”
Pediatric Neurosurgery has been a steadily growing program at URMC, using state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, neuronavigational and neurophysiology monitoring technologies to provide the best care possible. In 2010, the division performed 189 pediatric neurosurgeries, 27 of which were for brain tumors. In 2009, the division performed 138 pediatric neurosurgeries, 23 of which were for brain tumors.
Howard Silberstein, M.D., who was recruited in 1999, has along with David Korones, M.D., a pediatric oncologist, developed a leading pediatric brain tumor treatment program, said Webster H. Pilcher, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of Neurosurgery at URMC.
“We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality neurosurgical care to our region’s children so parents don’t have to leave the area to find the best possible care,” Pilcher added.
URMC is home to one of the largest, most comprehensive orthopaedic practices in the region. More than three dozen board-certified or board-qualified doctors cover every subspecialty of orthopaedics, from spine and sports medicine, to foot and ankle surgery, to joint replacement. Each year, faculty provides care to more than 160,000 patients.
“Being selected as a top pediatric orthopaedic hospital for the third year in a row is a tribute to the leadership of Dr. James Sanders as chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics. His recruitment four years ago represented an important collaboration that included the Medical Center, the Department of Orthopaedics, the Department of Pediatrics and the community to make the Rochester area a leading center for pediatric musculoskeletal health in the United States,” said Regis J. O'Keefe, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the URMC’s Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. “The pediatric orthopaedic team has enhanced musculoskeletal health for children throughout the region. We are excited about this recognition of their outstanding care.”
Sanders provides leadership for a team of orthopaedic surgeons, including Paul T. Rubery, M.D., associate chair of Clinical Affairs and is a leading surgeon in the treatment of childhood spinal deformity; John T. Gorczyca, M.D., who leads URMC’s regional trauma service; Judith F. Baumhauer, M.D., M.P.H., foot and ankle surgeon and Susan V. Bukata, M.D., a metabolic bone disease and cancer surgeon, who are also nationally recognized for their care of children.
The U.S. News & World Report rankings were published online at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings today and will be available on newsstands starting Aug. 30. The 2011 America's Best Children's Hospitals is the most extensive listing of its kind, ranking pediatric hospitals in 10 specialties.