National Jewish Named Top Respiratory Hospital
for Fifth Consecutive Year
National Jewish Medical and Research Center has been named the best respiratory hospital in the nation for the fifth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking is included in the 2002 "America's Best Hospitals" guide published by the weekly newsmagazine in its July 22 issue.
"We are honored that U.S. News and board-certified pulmonologists around the country have once again recognized our efforts to provide the best possible care for our respiratory patients," said Lynn M. Taussig, MD, National Jewish President and CEO.
The magazine ranked hospitals' respiratory programs based on their reputations among board-certified pulmonologists they surveyed, as well as mortality rates, ratio of registered nurses to beds, technology, and other factors culled from the annual survey of hospitals by the American Hospital Association. National Jewish had the highest reputational score among all the respiratory hospitals evaluated.
"Ranked hospitals tend to adhere more closely to advanced treatment guidelines, to incorporate new findings into patient care, and to conduct research that gives desperately ill patients more options," wrote U.S. News in an explanation of its methodology.
"Because most of our physicians are also researchers, they keep abreast of the latest findings and frequently advance the state of knowledge and care themselves," said Dr. Taussig.
National Jewish physician/researchers participate in several National Institute of Health studies that evaluate new and existing treatments for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung diseases. They also serve on several NIH advisory boards that write the guidelines for treatments of those diseases.
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston round out the top five hospitals in the U.S. News rankings.
National Jewish is the only medical and research center in the United States devoted entirely to respiratory, allergic and immune system diseases, including asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, severe allergies, AIDS, cancer, lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Founded in 1899, this institution is dedicated to enhancing prevention, treatment and cures through research, and to developing and providing innovative clinical programs for treating patients regardless of age, religion, race or ability to pay.
