VCU Health System Again Ranks Among “America’s Best Hospitals”

By Anne Buckley

The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has been ranked in U.S. News Media Group’s 2008 publication of America’s Best Hospitals. The VCU Health System was one of 170 medical centers to be ranked among the best out of a survey of nearly 5,500 hospitals.

Specifically, the VCU Health System was noted for excellence in rehabilitation, ranking 25th in the country for dealing with difficult or complex cases. It also ranked 49th in urology for treatment of urological disorders, including prostate cancer, and 50th in the country for treating people with kidney disease.

“This recognition supports our distinction in the region as the premier referral medical center for critically ill patients and affirms our priorities in quality of care and patient safety,” said Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin, VCU Health System CEO and VCU vice president for health sciences. “These rankings also confirm our decision to open the state's first Critical Care Hospital to serve the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.”

John Duval, CEO of MCV Hospitals, said the Health System’s “dedication to quality and patient safety is a key element in this recognition. It is one more affirmation that our efforts are propelling us to be among the best of the best."

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was noted for its treatment of adult and pediatric traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, return-to-work and pain management therapies and electrodiagnostic services. The department garners more than $1 million a year in grant and contract research sponsorship, resulting in more than 20 publications and 50 presentations annually.

The department also plays an integral role in the VCU Center for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering, or CERSE, a partnership of the VCU Schools of Medicine, Allied Health, Engineering, Education and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. The center provides physical medicine and rehabilitation services addressing the needs of America's warriors and heroes, children and adults with disabilities, and their families.

The Division of Urology has subspecialty expertise in the areas of urologic cancer, incontinence and voiding dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, urologic trauma, minimally invasive urology and pediatric urology. The urology program is adding faculty physicians this summer, including one with fellowship training and expertise in treating prostate cancer using the Da Vinci robotic surgery system. In conjunction with the VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncology department, patients with prostate cancer will have access to the most comprehensive and advanced treatments available in the region.

The Division of Nephrology provides specialized care of patients with a variety of kidney disorders and hypertension. The VCU Health System is among the nation’s most active and successful kidney-transplant hospitals. The VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center performs more than 100 kidney transplants each year and has performed about 2,000 kidney transplants and 100 pancreas transplants for Type 1 diabetes.

“Talent and money alone don’t put hospitals in the rankings,” said Best Hospitals editor Avery Comarow. “The truly best hospitals are never satisfied. Of course they have high medical standards, but the emphasis is not only on doing well, but always doing better … improving the quality of life of elderly patients besides helping more of them survive.”

The Best Hospitals 2008 publication is accessible online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.