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UF Health Jacksonville among top performers in U.S. News report

UF Health Jacksonville has been ranked among the best hospitals in a new U.S. News & World Report comparison of hospitals across the nation.

Highlighting the organization’s achievements is its ear, nose and throat program, which is ranked 37th best in the United States. At UF Health Jacksonville, ear, nose and throat services are provided by physicians of UF Health Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and UF Health Otolaryngology.

UF Health Jacksonville was recognized as a “Best Hospital” in northern Florida and also received high-performing scores in three other specialties: nephrology, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“This achievement continues to show the services we provide to the citizens of Northeast Florida are among the best not only regionally but now also nationally,” said Russ Armistead, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “Our entire staff has been working diligently to improve each and every one of our services, and I am so proud of everyone within this organization.”

For the 2017-18 rankings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in 25 specialties, procedures and conditions. In the 16 specialty areas, 152 hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty. The specialty rankings are based on 2,600 metrics centered around patient safety and survival; resources related to patient care, which include the hospital’s volume of patients and nurse staffing; and the hospital’s reputation among specialists for developing and sustaining the delivery of high-quality care for patients with the most challenging conditions or who need difficult procedures.

“Our physicians are honored to be a part of an organization that cares deeply about every patient,” said Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. “One of the things that led me to Jacksonville, and to the University of Florida, was the obvious positive direction in which UF Health is headed. This report shows our dedication to quality continues to move forward.”

U.S. News says the annual Best Hospitals rankings are designed to help patients make informed decisions about where to receive care for life-threatening conditions or for common elective procedures. The U.S. News methodologies include risk-adjusted survival and readmission rates, volume, patient experience, patient safety, quality of nursing care and other care-related indicators.

“For nearly three decades, we have strived to make hospital quality more transparent to health care consumers nationwide,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “By providing the most comprehensive data available, we hope to give patients the information they need to find the best care across a range of specialties.”