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UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Rank Among the Best for 2022-23

US News & World Report Lists UCSF Benioff Hospitals Among Best Children’s Hospitals in All 10 Specialties Surveyed

By Lorna Fernandes

A nurse tends to a baby at the Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Tammy Nelson, RN, checks on a baby in the UCSF Children’s Hospital Oakland NICU. Image by Maurice Ramirez

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals have been recognized among the nation’s best pediatric medical centers in all 10 specialties assessed in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2022-23, reflecting the caliber of specialty care the hospitals provide.

Together, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco ranked fifth nationwide and best in California in newborn specialty care (neonatology), and were named the best in Northern California in pediatric cancer. The hospitals tied for the No. 3 children’s hospital in both California and the entire Pacific Region, which includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.

They placed among the top 25 children’s hospitals nationwide in seven pediatric specialties, including pediatric cancer care, gastroenterology/GI surgery, kidney care (nephrology), neonatology, neurology/neurosurgery, pulmonology/lung surgery and urology. The hospitals also received high marks in cardiology/heart surgery, diabetes/endocrinology and orthopedics.  

Anchored by two exceptional hospitals with complementary strengths, our pediatric health system serves all children, including those from our most vulnerable communities.

Matthew Cook, President of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

“Parents throughout Northern California rely on us to provide world-class specialty care for their children,” said Suresh Gunasekaran, MBA, president and chief executive officer of UCSF Health. “Serving the needs of our young patients and their families is what drives our mission, and we are honored to be recognized for the extraordinary quality of care our clinical teams provide every day.”

The annual U.S. News rankings serve as a guide to hospitals nationwide that excel in treating children with the most challenging diagnoses. This is the seventh year in which the two UCSF Benioff hospitals have ranked together among the best children’s hospitals across all 10 rankings. This year, their rankings rose in the specialty areas of orthopedics, gastroenterology/GI surgery, nephrology and pulmonology/lung surgery.

Pediatric Neurosurgeon Peter Sun examines a young girl balancing on one foot
Pediatric Neurosurgeon Peter Sun, MD, examines a young patient at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. Image by Barbara Ries

“Expanding access to UCSF’s comprehensive pediatric care is one of our most important aims,” said Matthew Cook, MBA, president of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. “Anchored by two exceptional hospitals with complementary strengths, our pediatric health system serves all children, including those from our most vulnerable communities.”

The 2022-23 results represent the 16th year of pediatric rankings. The methodology reflects clinical outcomes such as patient survival, infection rates and complications; the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, including staffing, special services and technology; delivery of health care, including programs to prevent infection and promote adherence to best practices; and expert opinion from surveys of 6,138 pediatric specialists.

Of the 119 children’s hospitals reviewed this year, 90 hospitals were ranked among the top 50 in at least one specialty. Each facility was either a freestanding children’s hospital or an autonomous, multidisciplinary pediatric department within a major medical center.

2022-2023 Rankings by Specialty for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

A nurse tends to a baby at the Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Dishon Moore, RN, with a baby in the NICU at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Image by Maurice Ramirez

#5 Neonatology - Best in California

#13 Nephrology

#16 Neurology and Neurosurgery

#17 Cancer Care - Best in Northern California

#23 Gastroenterology and GI Surgery

#23 Urology

#24 (tie) Pulmonology and Lung Surgery

#27 (tie) Orthopedics

#29 (tie) Diabetes and Endocrinology

#41 Cardiology and Heart Surgery

The complete list of children’s hospital rankings is available online and will be published in the Best Hospitals print guide in September. U.S. News & World Report will publish its adult hospital rankings on July 26, 2022.

split image of exterior of UCSF Benioff Children's hospitals San Francisco and Oaklan
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco (left) and Oakland (right)

About UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals  
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are among the nation’s leading pediatric specialty hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 rankings. Their expertise covers virtually all pediatric conditions, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, pulmonology, diabetes and endocrinology, as well as the care of critically ill newborns. The two campuses in San Francisco and Oakland are known for basic and clinical research, and for translating research into interventions for treating and preventing pediatric disease. They are part of UCSF Health, whose adult hospital ranks among the top 10 medical centers nationwide and serves as the teaching hospital for the University of California, San Francisco, a national leader in biomedical research and graduate-level health/sciences education. Visit www.ucsfhealth.org. 

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