Cleveland Clinic, Ruvo Center rank among top hospitals

Cleveland Clinic, a nationally established medical center known in Southern Nevada for its work at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, received high rankings in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” survey released Tuesday.

After looking at 16 specialties in 5,000 medical centers across the country, U.S. News identified 17 as the nation’s best, with the Cleveland Clinic finishing fourth overall. The Mayo Clinic based in Rochester, Minn., topped the list. No other Nevada-affiliated hospitals are on the list.

“We are very honored to receive those rankings,” said Justin Schmiedel, the administrative director of the Cleveland Clinic in Nevada. “This speaks to our reputation as a leader in the health care field.”

The rankings give people the best information possible when seeking medical care, he added.

Founded in 1921, the nonprofit medical center integrates hospital care with research and education.

For 20 years, Cleveland Clinic has been listed in the report. Of its 13 specialties recognized, which vary from cardiology and heart surgery to gynecology, nine have placed in the top three.

In Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic has centers with specialties in urology — ranked No. 1 in the latest list — and neurology — ranked No. 6.

The medical center’s urology program has ranked in the top two for 15 years.

“We are grateful to be recognized as the leading department for urology care,” said Eric Klein, chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, in a statement.

Overall, Cleveland Clinic was ranked No. 1 in cardiology and heart surgery and No. 2 in nephrology, gastroenterology, and diabetes and endocrinology.

Schmiedel said the rankings are determined from peer-to-peer surveys that are sent out.

“A lot of different factors go into it,” he added. “They look at our high quality, our dedication to research and our innovation.”

The work done in Las Vegas, he said, contributed to the national recognition.

“I would say the (Lou Ruvo Center) we have developed has an innovative model that keeps the patient in mind,” he noted. “The center was modeled about Larry Ruvo’s experience with his father and the impact it had on himself and his mother. It provides very comprehensive care. It knows it’s as important providing the caregiver education and support as it is providing the patient with care.”

Schmiedel added that the center is also heavily involved in generating new clinical trials.

“On the urology side, we have very high quality surgeons that bring their expertise to the Las Vegas market,” he said.

The complete rankings are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.

Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Find him on Twitter: @mjlyle.