ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan Health System is again the only hospital in Michigan to make the honor roll of the nation's 14 "Best Hospitals," according to the annual U.S. News & World Report magazine rankings released today.

Ranking 11th overall this year, UMHS preserves its coveted standing among the nation's leading health care institutions. The magazine's annual report not only ranks the honor roll of the country's "Best Hospitals," but also assesses hospitals in various medical specialties. Last year, UMHS ranked ninth.

Once again, UMHS was recognized in nearly all the specialties this year, ranking in the top 15 in 13 of the categories. Four specialties were in the top 10 – cancer, ear, nose & throat, geriatrics and respiratory diseases. Several specialties also moved up in the rankings from last year's position with neurology & neurosurgery making a huge jump from 30 in 2003 to 16 in this year's rankings. Cancer, heart & heart surgery, rehabilitation and rheumatology also moved up in the rankings.

“We are extremely proud to again be in the company of the nation's best hospitals,” says Larry Warren, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers . “This prestigious ranking is testament to the work and dedication of our faculty and staff to provide the best in patient care, research and education. Their daily efforts are what make the U-M Health System one of the top health care institutions in the United States .”

Today's announcement further illustrates UMHS's strength in a range of national and state rankings. This year, the U-M Medical School was ranked 7th among the top 10 best research-oriented medical schools by U.S. News & World Report . MCARE, the UMHS's managed care organization, received an "excellent" accreditation for four consecutive years from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for all three of its HMO plans, and maintains top ratings from the Michigan Department of Community Health for its Medicaid health plans.

U.S. News & World Report uses several factors in determining the rankings, including reputation among board-certified physicians, mortality statistics, nursing care, medical technology, palliative care and discharge planning. In Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology, hospitals were ranked only by their reputation among board-certified specialists.

The rankings in each specialty category are:

• Overall 11
• Cancer 7
• Digestive Disorders 13
• Ear, Nose, & Throat 5
• Eyes 15
• Geriatrics 8
• Gynecology 16
• Heart & Heart Surgery 19
• Hormonal Disorders 13
• Kidney Disease 15
• Neurology & Neurosurgery 16
• Orthopedics 23
• Psychiatry 21
• Rehabilitation 12
• Respiratory Disorders 10
• Rheumatology 13
• Urology 14

UMHS moved up in five specialty areas from 2003:

• Cancer went up to 7 from 9
• Heart and Heart Surgery moves to 19 from 22
• Neurology & Neurosurgery jumps to 16 from 30
• Rehabilitation moves to 12 from 14
• Rheumatology went up to 13 from 15

The “ America 's Best Hospitals” methodology was devised in 1993 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago , a self-governing, not-for-profit corporation, which has carried out and refined the analysis ever since.

U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" rankings for 2004 will be published in the July 12 issue of the magazine, which is available July 5 on newsstands. But readers can get their first glimpse of the rankings online today at www.USNews.com.

Contact: Krista Hopson

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