U.S. News & World Report Names Cedars-Sinai To "Best Of The Best" Honor Roll; Hospital Highly Ranked In 10 Specialties

Los Angeles - July 11, 2008 – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been named to the honor roll – the “best of the best” – in the 2008 “America’s Best Hospitals” issue, which was released today by U.S News & World Report.

Cedars-Sinai ranked among America’s best hospitals in 10 different medical specialties in the latest rankings: cancer, heart and heart surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, endocrinology, geriatric care, gynecology and kidney disease.

In addition, Cedars-Sinai is one of just 19 hospitals in the nation to be named to U.S. News’ “Honor Roll,” a special designation rewarding breadth of excellence for hospitals achieving high rankings in six or more specialties.

Of the more than 5,400 hospitals in the United States, only 170 were ranked in at least one speciality.

“This honor is yet one more reflection of the truly extraordinary physicians, scientists, nurses, pharmacists, and other staff who choose to work at Cedars-Sinai,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “Our staff and volunteers bring tremendous skill and dedication to caring for all of our patients. Their commitment to quality and their compassion for our patients continue to be a hallmark of Cedars-Sinai.”

The U.S News & World Report rankings are based on reputation, mortality rate and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. The rankings are calculated using a number of factors, including performance of a specified volume in certain procedures and conditions.

“Talent and money alone don’t put hospitals in the rankings,” said U.S. News Best Hospitals Editor Avery Comarow. “The truly best hospitals are never satisfied,” he said. “Of course they have high medical standards. But the emphasis is not only on doing well, but always doing better--squeezing another few percentage points out of the infection rate, improving the quality of life of elderly patients besides helping more of them survive.”