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UNC Medical Center and UNC REX ranked as top hospitals in the state and Triangle.


UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill has been ranked nationally across three adult specialties in US News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” report, released today. The Medical Center is also cited as the number two hospital in the state and in the Triangle. UNC REX hospital in Raleigh is rated as the number five hospital in the state, and number three in the Triangle.

To be nationally ranked in a specialty, a facility must be rated among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for that specialty. For 2020-21, UNC Medical Center is nationally ranked in the adult specialties of:

  • Gynecology #18
  • Ear, Nose & Throat #36
  • Nephrology #39

In June of this year, UNC Children’s was nationally ranked in seven pediatric specialties in US News’ “Best Children’s Hospitals 2020-2021” report. Those pediatric specialties included:

  • Diabetes & Endocrinology #13
  • Pulmonology #22
  • Nephrology #31
  • Orthopedics #32
  • Urology #35
  • Gastroenterology & GI Surgery #45
  • Cancer #46

High Performing Specialties

A rating of “high performing” from US News indicates the hospital achieved a high score for that adult specialty, but was outside the top-50 rankings nationally. UNC Medical Center received a high performing rating in the specialties of Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Psychiatry and Urology.

UNC REX was rated as high performing in Gastroenterology & GI Surgery and also in Geriatrics.

UNC REX Special Recognition

As part of the “Best Hospitals” rankings and ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,000 hospitals for their handling of two chronic conditions – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure – and up to eight medical procedures: colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, aortic valve surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, knee replacement and hip replacement.

In each procedure and condition in which a hospital had treated enough patients to be evaluated, the hospital received a rating of high performing, average or below average. The ratings are designed to help patients and health care consumers make informed decisions about where to receive care for specific medical needs.

Only 37 standout hospitals nationwide (less than 1% of the hospitals evaluated), got the top rating in all 10 procedures and conditions. UNC REX was among that one percent.

Methodology

U.S. News Best Hospitals scores are based on a number of factors including survival, patient safety, nurse staffing and more. For a majority of the 16 adult specialties, rankings are determined by an extensive data-driven analysis combining performance measures in three primary dimensions of healthcare: structure, process/expert opinion, and outcomes. In the others, ranking relies solely on expert opinion.

Common Adult Procedures and Conditions

In a separate category, “Common Adult Procedures and Conditions,” six UNC Health hospitals received rankings of “high performing” for at least one procedure or condition. UNC REX was judged high performing in 10 conditions / procedures while UNC Medical Center was high performing in six. Across the UNC Health system, high performing ratings were noted for the following:

Caldwell UNC (1)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing

Johnston UNC (2)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing
Heart failure High Performing

Nash UNC (2)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing
Heart failure High Performing

UNC REX (10)
Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair High Performing

Aortic valve surgery High Performing

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing

Colon cancer surgery High Performing

Heart bypass surgery High Performing

Heart failure High Performing

Hip replacement High Performing

Knee replacement High Performing

Lung cancer surgery High Performing

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) High Performing

Wayne UNC (2)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing
Heart failure High Performing

UNC Medical Center (6)
Aortic valve surgery High Performing
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) High Performing
Colon cancer surgery High Performing
Heart bypass surgery High Performing
Heart failure High Performing
Lung cancer surgery High Performing

About UNC Health Care
UNC Health Care is an integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care.

UNC Health is comprised of UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield; UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston; Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro; Caldwell UNC Health Care in Lenoir; Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount; UNC Rockingham Health Care in Eden, Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network. For more information, please visit www.unchealthcare.org.