News Room

According to Karen Cicero, Child magazine senior editor, there were only four points separating the top two institutions, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Children's Hospital Boston. 'This was the closest race ever,' said Cicero. 'The number one and number two hospitals are the best of the best in the nation.' Cicero added that that the top two institutions stood in a class of their own in the depth and breadth of excellence in clinical care and magnitude of groundbreaking research. She also noted that each of the top two hospitals has a rich history of being at the forefront of pediatric medicine.

'We are proud to be at the head of this list,' said Dr. James Mandell, president and chief executive officer of Children's Hospital Boston. 'This is a testament to the commitment to excellence of all of our employees. This magazine is an important resource for parents who are looking for information on the best places to obtain specialty pediatric care, so it is important for us to participate in the survey.'

'With 8 million children hospitalized each year, Child magazine believes it is important to champion those children's hospitals that offer superb medical treatment as well as sensitive and supportive care to families,' says Miriam Arond, Child magazine's editor in chief. 'Our goal is to highlight those pediatric institutions that are excelling in their mission, as well as to make parents aware of what services and qualities to look for in their local hospitals.'

All of the semi-finalists then received a detailed 164-question survey developed in conjunction with a team of advisers engaged especially for this story. The survey included questions pertaining to survival rates for childhood cancers, heart surgeries, organ transplants, and premature births. Also, questions were asked about staff qualifications; nurse-to-patient ratios; research funding and the number of clinical trials; the availability of playrooms, lending libraries, and activities to help a child's hospital experience seem less frightening; and family services like support groups and sleeping accommodations for parents.

Child magazine's analysis of the scores found that five of the previous top 10 hospitals remained winners and six new hospitals emerged.