Shepherd Center Ranks Among Top 10 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Hospitals
ATLANTA – Shepherd Center was again named one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation in a U.S. News & World Report survey. The rankings are accessible today online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and on sale at newsstands July 27.
Shepherd Center ranked No. 9 among 20 hospitals that earned a spot in the magazine’s survey of rehabilitation hospitals. Shepherd Center also held the distinction of being the only rehabilitation hospital in the Southeast that is listed in the top 10 that were ranked.
“We are honored to rank among the top rehabilitation hospitals in the country and especially proud to be the highest ranked rehabilitation hospital in the Southeast,” said Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., president and CEO of Shepherd Center. “Being included for the 11th year in a row shows that our peers are recognizing the specialty care we offer to individuals who’ve experienced a spinal cord or brain injury.”
America's Best Hospitals guide includes rankings of 152 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties--with full data available online for another 1,704 unranked hospitals. In addition, the Best Hospitals "Honor Roll" highlights 14 medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties.
The standards for ranking in the “Best Hospitals” survey are rigorous. Rankings for rehabilitation hospitals are based on nominations among physicians. Physicians are asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty, regardless of location or expense.
The 16 ranked specialties are cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose, and throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology, heart and heart surgery, kidney disorders, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, psychiatry, pulmonology, rehabilitation, rheumatology and urology.
“When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for yourself or someone close to you," said Avery Comarow, health rankings editor. “These hospitals are accustomed to seeing the sickest patients day in and day out.”
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.