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MUSC DDC, Psychiatry cited by U.S. News The MUSC Medical Center has been named one of the country’s best hospitals in the treatment of digestive disorders and psychiatric disorders by U.S. News and World Report. The rankings are published in the magazine’s July 28 issue that is currently on the newsstands. This is the seventh straight year that MUSC’s Digestive Disease Center was named to the list. It ranked number 14 out of 50 hospitals that the magazine listed as being top facilities in the country. It also ranked 14th last year. MUSC’s psychiatry service was on the U.S. News best hospital list for the first time this year, ranking 25 out of 30 facilities listed as top hospitals. Since 1990, U.S. News has identified medical centers with unique capabilities in one or more areas. This year, the magazine sifted data from 6,003 hospitals to arrive at 203 stellar medical centers in 17 specialty areas. In 13 of the 17 specialties, including digestive diseases, ranked hospitals initially had to meet any of three entry standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliation with a medical school, or availability of at least nine of 17 specified items of medical technology. Those criteria screened out all but 2,072 of the 6,003 hospitals. Next the hospitals must have either performed a minimum number of specifically defined procedures or they must have been cited by at least one physician responding to U.S. News surveys.  Hospitals that met the requirement received a score that assigned equal weight to reputation, mortality, and a group of other care-related factors such as nursing.  The hospitals with the highest scores are listed. In four of the specialties, including psychiatry, hospitals did not have to meet eligibility requirements. They are ranked solely on their reputation among specialists.  Rankings can be viewed online at http://www.usnews.com.   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.