Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
July 18, 2003
CHARLESTON, SC -- The MUSC Medical Center has been named by
U.S.News & World Report as one of the country's best hospitals in the treatment
of digestive disorders and psychiatric disorders.
The rankings will be published in the magazines' July 28 issue that will appear
on the newsstands July 21.
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 hospital. 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 assigns 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 at www.usnews.com.
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