U.S. News Ranks Scripps No. 1 for Heart Care, Diabetes, Gynecology and Gastroenterology in San Diego Region

Scripps hospitals rank nationally in seven categories

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Scripps Health’s heart care, diabetes, gynecology and gastroenterology programs the best in the San Diego region, and named Scripps among the nation’s best in seven specialties in the magazine’s annual “Best Hospitals” list.

The annual U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, now in their 27th year, recognize the nation’s top 50 hospitals that excel in treating patients with the most challenging health care needs. U.S. News evaluates hospitals in 16 adult specialties and ranks the nation’s top 50 hospitals in 12 of those specialties based largely on hard data.

The combined programs of Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla – listed by the magazine as “Scripps La Jolla Hospitals and Clinics” – are among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in:

• Gynecology (No. 21)
• Diabetes and Endocrinology (No. 24)
• Cardiology and Heart Surgery (No. 28)
• Pulmonology (No. 32)
• Orthopedics (No. 34)
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (No. 45)
• Geriatrics (No. 48)

“Scripps has a long legacy of delivering outstanding patient care,” said Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health. “These rankings are a testament to the deep dedication and exceptional skill of our physicians, nurses and others who are on the front lines of caring for our patients every day.”

The U.S. News rankings are the latest in a series of recent accolades earned by Scripps hospitals. Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave Scripps Green and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla a five-star ranking for quality, making them the only hospitals in the region with the highest distinction and among only 3 percent in the nation to earn the recognition. Earlier, Scripps Health was named as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation by Truven Health Analytics for the fourth time.

 

Heart care

This is the 12th year the Scripps heart care program has made the U.S. News national ranking. More than 76,000 patients receive their cardiovascular care from Scripps, making it San Diego County’s largest heart care provider.

Last year, Scripps opened the Prebys Cardiovascular Institute on the campus of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, bringing together leading researchers, physicians, staff and technologies in the most advanced center dedicated to heart care on the West Coast. Through a longtime partnership with Kaiser Permanente, Scripps is the exclusive provider of cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology surgery to Kaiser Permanente members in the San Diego region.

 

Orthopedics

Scripps is recognized for excellence in orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, sports medicine and treatment of complex conditions. In addition, Scripps is the official medical provider for the San Diego Padres. The Donald P. and Darlene Shiley Musculoskeletal Center on the campus of Scripps Green Hospital also is home to groundbreaking orthopedic research and education.

 

Diabetes

Diabetes and endocrinology programs at Scripps provide comprehensive evidence-based diabetes screening, education and patient care. Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute oversees one of the largest American Diabetes Association-recognized diabetes education programs in the nation and is home to Project Dulce, an award-winning diabetes care and education program that addresses the specific needs of culturally diverse populations.

 

Gynecology

Scripps offers a full range of gynecological services — from annual check-ups and prenatal care, to deliveries, minimally invasive surgery and post-menopausal care. Services also include treatments for a variety of cancers and pelvic floor disorders, featuring state-of-the-art equipment for minimally invasive robotic surgery.

 

Pulmonary medicine

Scripps’ pulmonary medicine services include diagnosis and treatment options for routine and complex respiratory problems, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.

 

Gastroenterology and GI surgery

Scripps is recognized for treating the most challenging digestive and liver problems as well as offering access to emerging therapies through clinical research. In 1990, Scripps established San Diego’s first liver transplant program and founded the Scripps Clinic Liver Disease Center, which is internationally recognized for research and treatment of people with chronic liver disease.

 

Geriatrics

Scripps has more than 90 physicians whose specialties or areas of expertise include geriatric medicine. These physicians are skilled at providing care to older patients for a wide range of conditions associated with aging.

 

‘High Performing’ in specialty areas

U.S. News also recognizes “High Performing” hospitals that were not ranked in the top 50 but scored among the top 10 percent of hospitals that received scores.

The combined programs of Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla were recognized for high performance in the following specialties:

• Nephrology
• Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Rheumatology

Scripps Mercy Hospital was recognized for high performance in the following specialties:

• Diabetes
• Gastroenterology and GI surgery
• Nephrology
• Pulmonology
• Urology

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas was recognized for high performance in orthopedics.

 

State and metro rankings

U.S. News also ranked best regional hospitals in 45 metropolitan areas with a population of a million people or more, based largely on the number of national rankings achieved. The combined programs of Scripps Green and Scripps La Jolla were ranked No. 2 in the San Diego metro area and No. 7 in California.

Scripps Mercy was ranked No.4 in the San Diego metro area and No. 24 in California.

 

Methodology

U.S. News publishes Best Hospitals to help guide patients who need a high level of care because they face particularly difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risk because of other health problems or age. Objective measures such as patient survival and safety data, the adequacy of nurse staffing levels and other data largely determined the rankings in most specialties. The specialty rankings and data were produced for U.S. News by RTI International; a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Using the same data, U.S. News produced the state and metro rankings. All rankings have been published and will appear in print in the U.S. News Best Hospitals guidebook, available in bookstores and on newsstands in September.