U.S. News Confirms Boston As Medical Mecca

As we've noted here in the past, "best rankings," whether they're for colleges or cars or hospitals, are far from a perfect measure of the ultimate "best" on every level. Still, it's nice to be noticed.

With that, here's U.S. New & World Report's just-released ranking of the best hospitals in the nation. And yes, Boston's top teaching hospitals are very well represented (the Partners press release this morning lists 7 different PR people at their various hospitals to contact). And who could blame them? As The Boston Globe notes, "Massachusetts General Hospital moved from third to second on the group’s “honor roll,” while Brigham and Women’s Hospital moved up three places from last year’s rank at No. 11." White Coat Notes reports:

Partners HealthCare raked in the accolades. In addition to the two honor roll hospitals, four others in the system were recognized for specialty care or as best in the region. McLean Hospital was ranked No. 3 in the country for psychiatry and Spaulding was recognized as No. 5 in rehabilitation. The Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center was ranked No. 5 in cancer care.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center placed in eight specialty categories. Other hospitals that received national rankings in their specialties were Lahey Clinic, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and New England Baptist Hospital.

Interestingly, though, on the list of "most connected" hospitals, meaning those in the vanguard of using electronic medical records and other information technology, the only local hospital that made it into the top five in its category is Children's Hospital Boston. (The Brigham ranked 6th in its class of hospitals on technology.)