Suburban facilities make U.S. News' Top Hospitals list

Several suburban hospitals were named among the best in the Chicago region in U.S. News and World Report's 30th Annual 2019-20 Best Hospitals Rankings, which was released Tuesday.

NorthShore University HealthSystem-Metro Chicago in Evanston, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage in Winfield, Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge, Advocate Good Samaritan in Downers Grove, and Edward Hospital in Naperville all made the national magazine's Top 10 list of best regional hospitals.

U.S. News, in a statement, said the annual report evaluated nearly every community hospital in America. A total of 165 hospitals out of more than 4,500 were nationally ranked in one specialty, while 569 were ranked among the Best Regional Hospitals in a state or metro area based on its overall performance. The only Chicago-area hospital to rank nationally was Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which came in 10th nationally and first in the region.

U.S. News said it updated its methodology this year to emphasize patient outcomes, patient experience and enhanced risk adjustment, which accounts for differences in patient populations and is designed to not penalize hospitals that treat sicker patients. The patient experience and outcome measures focus on how often patients go directly home from the hospital, as opposed to transitioning to a nursing home or institutional care setting.

“The new model provides a more comprehensive assessment that is useful to patients, families and their medical professionals,” said Ben Harder, U.S. News managing editor and chief of health analysis.

In addition to the overall rankings, U.S. News ranks the facilities on 12 data-driven specialty rankings, which cover cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. Most of the Top 10 hospitals also received rankings in one or more of those specialties.

Tuesday, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare President and CEO Dean M. Harrison praised the group's performance in the study, noting in addition to the hospitals in the Top 10 list, Delnor Hospital in Geneva and McHenry Hospital in McHenry were ranked in the Top 20.

“While these rankings are assigned to individual hospitals, this recognition reflects the relentless commitment, dedication and expertise of Northwestern Medicine's physicians, nurses and staff across our health system who partner to provide our patients with world-class care each and every day while working to advance medicine and find tomorrow's treatments,” Harrison said.

Other suburban hospitals received rankings in the specialty categories. Information on those hospitals can be found at https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.