UT Southwestern has retained its ranking as the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth and the No. 2 hospital in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report. In addition, seven UTSW clinical programs ranked among the top 50 programs nationally, with an additional four designated as High Performing. The rankings reflect the work of thousands of dedicated employees, physicians, nurses, and other caregivers who strive to provide the best possible care today, with continuous improvement and innovation for better care tomorrow.

The announcement, which focuses on UT Southwestern’s clinical care, follows recognitions of UT Southwestern earlier in the year from U.S. News & World Report as one of the top medical schools in the country in primary care, and from Nature Index as the top institution in the world in the “healthcare” category for publishing high-quality scientific research.

“As we commemorate our 75th anniversary this year, it is gratifying to see recognition across the board for our efforts to educate, discover, and heal. Through ongoing efforts to continuously improve quality, expand our health care partnerships, and extend our reach into the community, our commitment is to continue building upon the best currently available treatments and therapies that we provide to those who entrust us with their care, and to discover new and better ways to promote health and a healthy society across the region, the state, the nation, and the international community,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern.

The publication’s annual Best Hospitals list, released in mid-August, showed UT Southwestern ranked nationally in Geriatrics, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Nephrology, Urology, Pulmonology, and Orthopedics.

“The value of data-driven, exceptional care our dedicated physicians, nurses, and staff provide at UT Southwestern University Hospitals is well-reflected in the high levels of patient satisfaction of these and other recognitions,” said Dr. John Warner, Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs, which includes William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Zale Lipshy University Hospital, and UTSW’s network of clinics and outpatient services.

Susan Hernandez, UT Southwestern Health System Chief Nurse Executive, said the recognition reflects the constant compassion and exceptional care provided by UT Southwestern employees.

“Our multidisciplinary team has continued to focus on patient-centered care and clinical outcomes, resulting in a healthier, happier North Texas,” Ms. Hernandez said. “Being ranked the No. 1 hospital in DFW for the second year in a row is in large part thanks to our employees who consistently show compassion to every patient.”

The seven specialty areas in which U.S. News & World Report ranked UT Southwestern nationally for 2018-2019 are:

• 18: Geriatrics
• 21: Neurology and Neurosurgery
• 21: Diabetes and Endocrinology
• 25: Nephrology
• 34: Urology
• 43: Pulmonology
• 49: Orthopedics 

U.S. News & World Report also ranked UT Southwestern high-performing in the areas of cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, and ophthalmology, as well as in the treatment areas of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, and lung cancer surgery. UT Southwestern received excellent ratings for patient satisfaction in all nine categories of procedures reviewed. For the 2018-2019 Best Hospital rankings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in 25 specialties, procedures, and conditions.

Recognition comes as UT Southwestern continues to expand access to its distinctive academic medicine through new facilities and partnerships.

UT Southwestern is in the midst of constructing a $480 million expansion of our flagship Clements University Hospital that will add 300 beds to the existing 460, making it among the largest in the nation. Scheduled to open in 2020, a 12-story, third tower will serve as a clinical home for neurological care through the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, consolidate acute inpatient care services, and add operating rooms, interventional suites, expanded Emergency Department care, and two new parking structures. Two floors will expand inpatient cancer care available through UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas and one of just 50 in the nation.