Where would ophthalmologists around the country send patients with the most complex eye conditions to receive the best care?
The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah was the answer for many in the latest U.S. News & World Report 2017-2018 Best Hospitals for Ophthalmology rankings. On Tuesday, the magazine's annual survey placed the Moran Eye Center at No. 15 in the nation.
The report comes on the heels of a recent survey by physician website Doximity that ranked Moran's residency program No. 11 in the nation and No. 4 in the West by reputation for 2017-2018.
"Our U.S. News ranking places Moran among the country's top institutions when it comes to our reputation for providing exceptional care for patients with challenging diagnoses," said Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD. "I believe our educational ranking is a reflection of the caliber of experience we provide in a very competitive and unique program. Combine the two, and it's clear why Moran is such a remarkable institution."
The Moran Eye Center is the largest vision treatment and research center between Michigan and the West Coast with more than 60 clinical and research faculty members, including one of the top retinal research teams in the world. Including care provided at 11 community clinics, Moran has more than 130,000 patient visits each year while its surgeons perform more than 6,000 procedures annually. As part of University of Utah Health, Moran has been ranked No. 1 in the nation among academic medical centers for the quality of the care it provides.
Moran's highly competitive residency program selects four applicants from a pool of more than 400 each year. While nationally ophthalmology residents must perform 86 cataract surgeries the average is 140 Moran residents each perform nearly 300 cataract surgeries and a range of 300 subspecialty surgeries, all supervised by board-certified attending faculty. They also receive protected research time and an opportunity to customize their own education.
To compile its rankings, U.S. News surveys ophthalmologists with a single question about where they would send their most complex cases. Doximity also surveys physician opinions to determine its reputation-based rankings.