Jan. 10, 2001

MUSC Children's Hospital Among Nation's Best

For immediate release

CHARLESTON, S.C. --The Children's Hospital of the Medical University of South Carolina is ranked among the top 10 such institutions in America, according to a survey compiled by a national magazine.

Child magazine makes that distinction in its February issue, which arrives at newsstands next week. The publication also lists The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Children's Hospital, Boston; Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle; The Children's Hospital, Denver; Children's Medical Center, Dallas; Children's Hospital and Health Center, San Diego; and C.S. Mott Children's Hospital of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

"That's pretty much the hall of fame of children's hospitals," said Lyndon Key, MD, vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, surveying a list of the institutions. "It demonstrates the high quality of clinical and surgical services we have here."

The magazine conducted an extensive survey of the nation's 178 children's hospitals, narrowing the list to 50 based on their evaluation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The 50 finalists had to answer a comprehensive 42-question survey developed by the magazine's medical advisory board. The survey addressed issues ranging from cancer survival rates to the extent of the institution's Child Life programs for the emotional needs of young patients.

"When a child is seriously ill, a parent wants the best care possible," said Miriam Arond, editor-in-chief of Child, in a press release. "Our survey provides parents with a list of hospitals that conduct cutting-edge research in children's health and offer exceptional medical care in a sensitive kid- and family-friendly environment."

The magazine's investigation took five months to complete. "Unlike other surveys, we sought to evaluate hospitals based solely on the issues such as performance records, the percentage of their staff board-certified in pediatrics, research capabilities and community outreach," Arond said.

Key had praise for numerous individuals and departments in analyzing the reasons behind the Children's Hospital elite ranking. Foremost was Charles P. Darby, MD, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, who is currently out of the country. Darby was the moving force for the establishment of the Children's Hospital, a freestanding facility dedicated to children's health services, which opened in 1988.

"Dr. Darby envisioned a Children's Hospital that would be built for 'A Lot of Little Reasons,'" Key said, referring to the Children's Hospital's long-time motto. "A Children's Hospital was envisioned that would provide the children of South Carolina with pediatric care that would rival that of any other Children's Hospital in the country. With the recognition of the MUSC Children's Hospital as one of the Top Ten Children's Hospitals in the U.S., this vision has been realized."

Key noted that most of the other leading children's hospitals were long-established instituions; MUSC's Children's Hospital, by comparison, was relatively new.

"In 1984, we had seven or eight full-time faculty members. Today we have over 65 full-time faculty," Key said. "The entire program has been put together in a 16-year period. That in and of itself is remarkable."

Another interesting observation was the fact that the Children's Hospital was the only such institution in the southeastern United States ranked among the nation's best -- Texas and Pennsylvania were the closest states to South Carolina in which leading children's hospitals were located.

"This is the best facility for children's medical care in South Carolina and the Southeast, and it's here in Charleston," Key said. "The city of Charleston is remarkably blessed to have a children's hospital the caliber of this one."

Key himself was singled out as an outstanding representative of the MUSC Children's Hospital. Key, who also serves as assistant dean for clinical research in the College of Medicine and director of pediatric endocrinology and the General Clinical Research Center , is a leading authority on pediatric bone disorders and diseases, growth hormone deficiencies and other conditions. He currently is principal investigator in a multi-center clinical trial on a drug promising to relieve symptoms and halt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Children's Hospital is not resting on its laurels. This week's announcement comes a few weeks before the scheduled groundbreaking of the Children's Research Institute on Feb. 7. The facility will provide approximately 100,000 sq.ft. of laboratory space for pediatric research.

"To get the best physicians to come here, an institution has to provide the physicians with the facilities to let them do their work," Key said.

#####