University of Chicago Medical Center Ranks Among Nation’s Best in 10 Specialties, According to U.S. News Survey

Tom Jackiewicz

The University of Chicago Medical Center ranks among the nation’s best hospitals in 10 specialties, according to results of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey.

The Medical Center, which serves as a focal point of the University of Chicago Medicine health system, is one of just 24 hospitals in the country to have 10 or more specialties ranked in the top 50. U.S. News evaluated more than 4,750 hospitals nationwide for its 2023-24 Best Hospitals list.

The Medical Center’s cancer program is now ranked the best in Illinois on U.S. News’ list — which further highlights the health system’s $815 million initiative to build the city’s first freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research. In addition, four specialties improved their standings, including ear, nose and throat, which moved up 17 spots this year. The University of Chicago Medical Center ranked among the top 50 in the following areas:

• Cancer, 16
• Cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, 38
• Diabetes and endocrinology, 23
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT), 32
• Gastroenterology and GI surgery, 22
• Geriatrics, 43
• Neurology and neurosurgery, 47
• OB-Gynecology, 28
• Pulmonology and lung surgery, 30
• Urology, 49

“Our priority is to concentrate on continuously improving upon the care we provide to our patients and the community and increasing their access to our world-class care,” said Health System President Tom Jackiewicz. “We are pleased that this relentless focus has led to gains in our specialty rankings and that we are making progress to achieving Honor Roll status.”

U.S. News also evaluates hospital performance for common adult procedures and conditions. The University of Chicago Medical Center received high-performing ratings in 18 areas, an improvement from 14 last year:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
• Aortic valve surgery
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Colon cancer surgery
• Diabetes
• Heart attack
• Heart bypass surgery
• Heart failure
• Hip fracture
• Kidney failure
• Knee replacement
• Leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
• Lung cancer surgery
• Ovarian cancer surgery
• Pneumonia
• Prostate cancer surgery
• Stroke
• Uterine cancer surgery

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial also saw progress in the procedures-and-conditions category. The Harvey-based community health system received high-performing marks in the following four areas, compared to three last year:

• Diabetes
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• Stroke

“The commitment by our physicians, nurses and staff to delivering high-quality care throughout our enterprise is reflected in these results,” said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “Our outstanding healthcare also reflects the crucial role of research, which informs the decisions made by our clinicians to provide the safest and most effective care.”

The U.S. News rankings are designed to help patients and doctors make informed decisions about where to receive quality care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures. To see the full rankings and methodology, visit the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals page.

The U.S. News’ results come a few months after the University of Chicago Medical Center was recognized for its long track record for hospital safety, receiving its 23 consecutive “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group. The Medical Center is one of only 20 hospitals nationwide to have earned the top grade in every cycle since June 2012, when the national industry watchdog announced its first biannual results.