Phoenix Children’s is one of a small number of pediatric hospitals in the nation that — once again — has earned high rankings in all 10 specialties in the annual U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals.

The hospital is one of only 24 children’s hospitals in the United States to rank in all 10 surveyed specialties for 2020-2021. This is the fourth time the institution has received recognition in all 10. 

Neonatology, orthopedics and cardiology and heart surgery were the hospital’s highest ranked programs this year.   

“It’s exciting for us. It’s a testament to the hard work that hundreds of people put in every day. It’s a testament to our leadership for recruiting top-notch talent to be able to provide that quality of care,” said Dr. Kelly Kelleher, who recently spoke to Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ about the rankings and how the hospital is being affected by COVID-19.

To be nationally ranked in a specialty, a hospital must excel in caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients.

Keeping families safe during COVID-19

To calculate the, U.S. News & World Report analyzes a number of measures including clinical expertise, quality of care, and patient outcomes. 

One category that is particularly important to families during the pandemic is safe care, said Kelleher, who also is chief quality and safety officer. 

Like other hospitals in the state, it has implemented a variety of to protect patients, visitors and staff from the coronavirus. Everyone, even children as young as 3, are required to wear masks, Kelleher said.

To address family concerns, the hospital is offering telehealth visits. But if a child is having serious health issues, parents should not be afraid to bring them into the hospital, Kelleher said.

“We want to be seen as a resource in the community and we want to be a place where families feel comfortable and they know when they come here they’re going to get high quality care that’s safe.”

So far, the hospital has not had many admissions of children with severe cases of COVID-19. For the most part, children are not as adversely affected as adults, she said.

Hospital treating children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome

The hospital also has been seeing cases of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome 

(MIS-C) that occurs after a child is infected with COVID-19, and expects more to come as the disease is surging across the state, Kelleher said.

But cases are “exceptionally rare,” she said. MIS-C is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

The rankings 

This is the 10th consecutive year Phoenix Children’s has been named among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. 

Specialties are measured by national surveys of pediatric specialists who rank top pediatric hospitals in specific specialties by indicating where they would send their sickest patients.

Here is the list of the hospital’s national rankings this year:

-Neonatology, #20           

-Orthopedics, #23

-Cardiology and Heart Surgery, #27

-Neurology and Neurosurgery, #29

-Nephrology, #33             

-Gastroenterology and GI Surgery, #34             

-Hematology and Oncology, #35

-Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, #37                

-Diabetes and Endocrinology, #39

-Urology, #45

Phoenix Children’s reputation attracts patients worldwide 

Phoenix Children’s is one of Arizona’s many world-class health care institutions that draws not only patients, but industry and families to the state.

Young patients at the hospital benefit from partnerships with many of these facilities including Barrow Neurological Institute and the Mayo Clinic.  

Other honors this year 

Phoenix Children’s ranking among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals comes on the heels of several other high-profile honors and acknowledgments. 

In April, the health system was verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center. In addition, it recently received a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and is routinely recognized by Solutions for Patient Safety for its quality work. Late last year, the hospital received a Five Star Patient Care “Vigi Award.”

About Phoenix Children’s Hospital

For more than 35 years, Phoenix Children’s has provided world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, Phoenix Children’s delivers care across more than 75 pediatric specialties. For more information about the hospital, visit .

The post Phoenix Children’s again ranked among best in all 10 specialties appeared first on Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­.

Arizona hospitals had a $30 billion statewide economic impact in 2018, according to a new economic impact report commissioned by the Health System Alliance of Arizona.

The report was conducted by Rounds Consulting Group and measured the overall economic impact to Arizona through direct, indirect and induced jobs.

The HSAA said that although $30 billion is a large number, it could still be a conservative estimate because hospitals lead to health care-related employment both on and off campus.

“Hospitals have been known as a major employer throughout the state, but the findings in this report show how embedded the industry is in Arizona’s economy,” said Jennifer Carusetta, HSAA executive director. “Our hospitals not only provide a critical economic foundation but will also be a key economic driver moving forward. We are proud to play a role in making Arizona a better place to live, work and raise a family.”

The report found that Arizona hospitals created a total economic impact of $29.8 billion — that’s 184,969 jobs, or about 7 percent of the state’s total workforce of 2.9 million.

Direct, indirect and induced jobs earned a combined $12.3 billion in wages. Direct jobs are jobs created by the hospital itself; indirect jobs are jobs created by the hospital’s participation in commerce, such as supplier or delivery jobs; and induced jobs are created by the economic impact of the hospitals — these jobs are created when hospital employees spend money in their regions.

State and local governments collected $808.7 million in tax revenues from hospitals in 2018, also according to the report.

“The data is clear when it comes to the impact of Arizona hospitals; their reach goes far beyond the examination room,” said Jim Rounds, president of Rounds Consulting Group. “There are very few industries that provide direct services to citizens, employ thousands of people and also operate as an economic driver for the entire state.”

The HSAA said hospitals can serve as a necessary hub for advanced health care research and development, as well as medical tourism — when people travel for specific procedures — in certain regions.

According to the report, increased economic activity is important for urban areas as well as rural areas, where the high-wage industry can be responsible for a disproportionate portion of the area’s economy. In addition, healthy hospital activities can also increase surrounding property values and create opportunities for Arizona’s state universities.

“This analysis is critically important for policymakers who are concerned about maintaining and enhancing Arizona’s quality of life,” said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry.

“We need to ensure that Arizona’s health care sector keeps pace with our growing state, delivering outstanding care and plentiful options,” he said. “Not only are Arizona’s health care systems essential to the state’s economy, but they make it a better place to live and work.”

The report from HSAA is the first in a series analyzing the overall impact of Arizona’s hospital systems.

“As we enter this new decade and implement policies that put Arizona on the right path for continued success, it is critical that health care be included in the economic vision of the state,” Rounds said.

The post Health industry report shows Arizona hospitals create $30B economic impact appeared first on Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­.