SALT LAKE CITY—University of Utah Health Care (UUHC) tied for the No. 1 health care system in Utah, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2015-2016 Best Hospitals rankings.
In addition, UUHC was recognized as "high-performing" in ophthalmology, cancer, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.
UUHC was also ranked as the number 1 system in the Salt Lake City metro area.
"This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our staff and physicians, and it's gratifying to be ranked among the nation's best," said Vivian Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., CEO of University of Utah Health Care. "Our patients are our first priority and we strive to provide the best care for our patients in Utah and across the region and country."
UUHC has 527 hospital beds, more than 1,300 staffed physicians and 11 community clinics across the Wasatch Front. In the last year, University Hospital has admitted 22,831 patients, provided more than 10,000 inpatient surgeries and 15,000 outpatient surgeries, and logged over 40,000 Emergency Department visits.
Approximately 5,000 hospitals in 94 U.S. metro areas were eligible for this year's rankings. To meet the criteria hospitals must offer each of 16 medical specialties, and then are ranked according to death rates, patient safety rates, procedure volume, and other objective data. The rankings for all hospitals and specialties are available at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.