The Best Children's Hospitals in 2012

The disease may be similar, but the treatment that a child needs to receive isn’t always the same as an adult. Surgery is more difficult, they react differently to medications and they can be more vulnerable to infections. All of that explains why having a good children’s hospital can be very important to the survival of a young person.

U.S. News & World Report

ranked the best children’s hospitals focusing on medical centers that treat young patients with life-threatening, rare or demanding conditions.

The 178 pediatric centers were ranked in 10 specialties: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology; neonatology; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; pulmonology; and urology.

Unsurprisingly a lot of the same hospitals kept showing up at the top of the lists. But the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Boston Children’s Hospital had the most appearances by far.

Here are the top three medical centers for the 10 ranked specialties.

Cancer

For cancer centers, 75% of the score was based on five-year survival, transplant accreditation and overall infection prevention. The remaining 25% reflected how many cancer specialists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Dana-Farber Cancer Center/Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

3. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of beds: 512

Cardiology and Heart Surgery

Three-fourths of the score was based on clinical research, surgical survival and the ability to prevent bloodstream infections, among other factors. The remaining 25% reflected how many cardiologists and heart surgeons recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

3. Texas Children’s Hospital

Location: Houston, Texas

Number of beds: 469

Diabetes and Endocrinology

Among the factors that made up 75% of the score was management of diabetes, overall infection prevention and a range of diabetes treatment options. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric diabetes specialists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

3. Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital

Location: New Haven, Conn.

Number of beds: N/A

Parent system: Yale New Haven Health System

Gastroenterology

Among the factors that made up 75% of the score was liver transplant volume and survival. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric liver specialists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

3. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of beds: 512

Neonatology

Three-fourths of the score was made up of nursing staff in neonatal intensive care units, ability to prevent bloodstream infections and patient volume, among other factors. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric neonatologists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of beds: 512

2. Texas Children’s Hospital

Location: Houston, Texas

Number of beds: 469

3. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

Nephrology

Survival following kidney transplant, biopsy complications and overall infection prevention were among the factors that made up 75% of the score. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric nephrologists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

3. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of beds: 512

Neurology and Neurosurgery

Surgical survival, parent and family involvement, and clinical research were among the factors that made up 75% of the score. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric neurologists and neurosurgeons recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

3. Children’s Hospital Cleveland Clinic

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Number of beds: N/A

Parent system: Cleveland Clinic Health System

Orthopedics

Three-fourths of the score was made up of clinical research, ability to prevent surgical complications and overall infection prevention, among other factors. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric orthopedists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Rady Children’s Hospital

Location: San Diego, Calif.

Number of beds: 441

3. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

Pulmonology

Management of asthma, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy were among the factors that made up 75% of the score. The remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric pulmonologists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of beds: 512

3. Texas Children’s Hospital

Location: Houston, Texas

Number of beds: 469

Urology

The score was made up 75% from factors like bloodstream infections from urinary catheters, nurse staffing, and patient volume, while the remaining 25% reflected how many pediatric urologists recommended the hospital in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Number of beds: 459

2. Boston Children’s Hospital

Location: Boston, Mass.

Number of beds: 396

3. Riley Hospital for Children Indiana University Health

Location: Indianapolis, Ind.

Number of beds: N/A

Parent system: Indiana University Health