Connect

U.S. News & World Report has named UVA Health Children’s, part of UVA Health, the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia for the fourth consecutive year.

The news publication’s 2024-25 “Best Children’s Hospitals” guide ranks eight UVA Health Children’s specialties among the top 50 nationally, highlighting the comprehensive, high-quality care available from UVA Health Children’s pediatric specialists and care teams. The eight ranked specialties: 

• Neonatology (critical care for infants): 26th
• Pediatric nephrology (kidney care): 28th
• Pediatric cardiology & heart surgery: 33rd 
• Pediatric gastroenterology & GI surgery (digestive health): 43rd 
• Pediatric pulmonology & lung surgery: 43rd 
• Pediatric orthopedics: 46th 
• Pediatric neurology & neurosurgery: 48th 
• Pediatric diabetes & endocrinology: 49th 

“These sterling rankings from U.S. News & World Report reflect the commitment and compassion of our entire UVA Health Children’s team as they serve patients from every region of Virginia and beyond,” said K. Craig Kent, MD, UVA Health’s chief executive officer and UVA’s executive vice president for health affairs. “As we continue implementing our 10-year strategic plan, we are working diligently to make this world-class care available to even more families across the commonwealth.”

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals guide recognizes hospitals providing excellent care for children with the most serious or complex healthcare needs. The publication’s criteria include patient outcomes, patient safety and access to specialized clinics and programs, along with a national survey of pediatric specialists.

“I’ve seen firsthand the incredible skill and tremendous specialized care that our team provides for patients and their families every day,” said Madhusmita Misra, MD, MPH, chair of UVA’s Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief for UVA Health Children’s. “These awards have been truly earned, and it is an honor for me to be part of this team.”

UVA Health Children’s continues to see more patients each year and has added more inpatient beds and physicians to meet the community’s growing needs. For example, the UVA Department of Pediatrics has grown by 18 physicians over the past three fiscal years, while three additional physicians were added during the last fiscal year to the newly established pediatric emergency department at UVA Health University Medical Center. Additional specialized care for children and families is also coming soon through a partnership with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to open the UVA Health Children's Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Health clinic. The clinic is slated to open later this year in Albemarle County.

“There is a growing need for both behavioral health and neurodevelopmental care for children in our community,” said Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, UVA Health University Medical Center’s chief executive officer. “This new clinic highlights how hard our UVA Health Children’s team is working to provide the best care for children and their families and I am equally proud of our fourth consecutive U.S. News & World Report ranking as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia.”

******

UVA Health Children’s Team Members: What does being ranked No. 1 four years in a row mean to you? Send your thoughts to healthsystemannouncements@uvahealth.org and we may use them in future Connect article!