Magazine calls Sunrise area’s best hospital

In U.S. News & World Report's first-ever ranking of hospitals within 52 metropolitan areas, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center was regarded as the best in Southern Nevada.

Though the hospital was not one of the top 50 American hospitals in any of the 16 specialities that were ranked, the magazine said Sunrise performed "nearly at the level of nationally ranked U.S. News Best Hospitals" in five medical specialities: heart and heart surgery, cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, kidney disorders and pulmonology.

St. Rose Dominican Hospitals and University Medical Center tied for second place in Las Vegas. St. Rose performed "nearly at the level of nationally ranked" hospitals in orthopedics, and UMC performed "nearly at the level of nationally ranked" hospitals in diabetes and endocrinology.

U.S. News said it created the metro rankings to help consumers find a good, all-around hospital in their community and health insurance network.

The magazine did not rank children's hospitals in metro areas, saying in a release that "few metro areas have more than one or two, making consumers' decisions easier."

Data such as death rates, procedure volume, and balance of nurses and patients largely determine rank.

For 2010-2011, the magazine ranked the top five hospitals in the country as Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston; the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio; and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Sylvia Young, president and CEO of Sunrise, said she was proud of her hospital's metro ranking.

"This award," she said, "reflects the skills and expertise of our staff and physicians who set the standard in high-quality, compassionate care to our patients."

Contact reporter Paul Harasim at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2908.