For Immediate Release July 28, 2020

Contact:

Michael Schwartzberg:

Contact:
Michael Schwartzberg: MichaelSchwartzberg@umm.edu | 410-328-8920

BALTIMORE (July 28, 2020) – Three University of Maryland Medical System hospitals have been recognized in the 2020 U.S. News and World Report's "Best Hospitals" rankings as being among the best hospitals in the state.

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) Downtown Campus, the System's flagship academic medical center, was ranked as #2 both in the state of Maryland and Baltimore Metro area. The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC) in Towson was ranked #3 both in the state and Baltimore Metro for the second consecutive year, and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) in Glen Burnie was ranked #9 in Maryland and #7 in the Baltimore Metro.

UMMC was also ranked #21 for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) in the country and #35 for Cancer. Earlier this year, the University of Maryland Children's Hospital was again ranked by U.S. News as one of the "Best Children's Hospitals for Cardiology and Heart Surgery;" among children's hospitals nationally, the Children's Heart Program at UMCH ranks 41st in the nation out of nearly 200 qualified pediatric heart centers.

"We are extremely proud of these hospitals for being recognized for the excellent care and experience delivered to patients," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of UMMS. "This is representative of the efforts that all of our System hospitals are engaged in to transform health care, with a focus on delivering compassionate high-quality care."

The annual Best Hospitals rankings, now in its 31st year, is designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive treatment for challenging health conditions or for common elective procedures.

"The University of Maryland Medical Center is once again proud to have our cancer and ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) programs nationally ranked among the best in the nation," said Alison G. Brown, MPH, Interim President, University of Maryland Medical Center Downtown campus and President, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown campus. "This consistent recognition over many years demonstrates the commitment of our entire team to world class, compassionate care for all who come through our doors. Partnering with our University of Maryland School of Medicine colleagues, it is a privilege to deliver care that positively impacts lives every day."

>p>Noting UM SJMC is ranked as the top-rated community hospital in Maryland, Thomas B. Smyth, MD, the hospital's President and CEO, said, "This accomplishment speaks to our relentless commitment to providing high-quality, safe and effective patient care. This milestone recognition is the culmination of our ongoing work to standardize clinical excellence for optimal patient outcomes. We are most proud of our designation as the highest-ranking community hospital in Maryland because of what it means to our patients: unrivaled, leading-edge, compassionate care in a community-based setting."

"UM BWMC is committed to providing the highest quality care to the communities we serve," said UM BWMC President and CEO Karen E. Olscamp. "We are pleased to once again be recognized by U.S. News & World Report, and I am very proud of our dedicated staff who bring our mission to life."

Several UMMS hospitals were also recognized as "High Performing" in specific procedures:

  • University of Maryland Medical Center Downtown Campus: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Aortic Valve Surgery, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Colon Cancer Surgery, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Lung Cancer Surgery and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
  • University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Aortic Valve Surgery, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Colon Cancer Surgery, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement and Lung Cancer Surgery.
  • University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center: COPD, Colon Cancer Surgery, Heart Failure and Lung Cancer Surgery
  • University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center: COPD
  • University of Maryland Prince George's Medical Center: COPD and Heart Failure
  • University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center: COPD and Heart Failure

The U.S. News Best Hospitals methodologies in most areas of care are based largely on objective measures such as risk-adjusted survival and discharge-to-home rates, volume, and quality of nursing, among other care-related indicators. Best Hospitals is produced by U.S. News with RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. For more information about hospital rankings, visit Best Hospitals.

About the University of Maryland Medical System:

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state's future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system's 28,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 13 hospitals. UMMS' flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. In addition, UMMS operates health insurance plans serving Medicare and Medicaid members. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

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