University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics

Children’s Hospital Colorado once again has been recognized among the best-of-the-best children’s hospitals in the nation. According to the 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado earned the No. 6 spot among the top 10 children’s hospitals on the Honor Roll, and again ranked highly in all 10 recognized specialty areas.

The nonprofit pediatric health system is the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Colorado and the surrounding 12 states. Out of the 10 recognized specialty areas, seven of the Children’s Colorado specialties ranked among the top 10 including:

• Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Surgery: No. 1
• Diabetes and Endocrinology: No. 4
• Pulmonology and Lung Surgery: No. 5
• Cardiology and Heart Surgery: No. 6
• Urology: No. 8
• Cancer: No. 9
• Neurology and Neurosurgery: No. 10

“More incredible still is our teams’ dedication and consistency — a tireless effort that keeps us among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation year after year,” said Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children’s Colorado. “Kids really are incredibly different, and this is what different looks like.”

The 14th annual rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. Hospitals received points for being ranked in a specialty, and higher-ranking hospitals receive more points. The Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll recognizes the 10 hospitals that received the most points overall.

“Even in the midst of a pandemic, children have healthcare needs ranging from routine vaccinations to life-saving surgery and chemotherapy,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of Health Analysis at U.S. News. “The Best Children's Hospitals rankings are designed to help parents find quality medical care for a sick child and inform families’ conversations with pediatricians.”

U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available in consultation with their doctors and other medical professionals. The rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on pediatric hospitals in the country.

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of thousands of pediatric specialists, who are asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty. The rankings methodology factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices.

U.S. News Hospital Heroes

As hospitals across the country implemented innovative practices to care for patients with COVID-19, three leaders at Children's Colorado were highlighted in a U.S. News special feature for their work during the initial phase of the pandemic:

• Kyle Annen, DO, medical director of Transfusion Services and Patient Blood Management, played important roles in collecting convalescent plasma.
• Jessica Hawks, PhD, clinical director of outpatient services at the Pediatric Mental Health Institute, is helping kids cope with uncertainty and struggles around COVID-19.
• Pat Givens, DHA, chief nursing officer, is keeping fellow healthcare heroes safe.

Children’s Colorado CEO Jena Hausmann also offered her thought leadership in a U.S. News guest column on overcoming fear and uncertainty amid COVID-19. “…Concerns that healthcare facilities are not safe aren’t grounded in reality, and we must find ways to reassure families that our facilities are safe places to go for care.”