UT Medical Center Recognized in U.S. News & World Report's 'America's Best Hospitals' Edition


KNOXVILLE, TN, July 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
For the third consecutive year, The University of Tennessee Medical Center is recognized in the "America's Best Hospitals" edition of U.S. News & World Report. The 2014-2015 report ranks the medical center No. 2 in the state of Tennessee and as the best hospital in Knoxville, based on its patient care performance and other key factors. Vanderbilt University Medical Center ranked No. 1 in Tennessee. Because of its independent analysis, the annual ranking by U.S. News is considered as a credible source for determining safety and quality in the medical field.

The publication recognizes 11 specialties at the medical center. The hospital's Pulmonology service ranks 28th in the nation while the following services earned recognition as high-performing specialties:
 

  • Cancer
  • Cardiology and Heart Surgery
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Ear, Nose and Throat
  • Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
  • Geriatrics
  • Gynecology
  • Nephrology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pulmonology
  • Urology

"Our team members work tirelessly to continuously advance our capabilities so we can provide the best possible care and hospital experience for our patients and their families," said Joe Landsman, president and CEO of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. "Recognition in the Best Hospitals edition of U.S. News and World Report motivates our team members to work that much harder to further advance the patient care, education and discovery at the medical center."

Now in its 25th year, the Best Hospitals report recognizes hospitals that excel in treating patients facing the greatest health challenges. For 2014-15, U.S. News evaluated hospitals in 16 adult specialties and ranked the top 50 in most of the specialties. Just 3 percent of the nearly 5,000 hospitals that were analyzed for Best Hospitals 2014-15 earned national ranking in even one specialty.

The rankings from the annual report were produced for U.S. News by RTI International, a nationally recognized research firm. The data is based on objective measures such as patient survival and safety data, the adequacy of nurse staffing levels and other data relative to the quality of care provided. U.S. News publishes the Best Hospitals report to help guide patients who need a high level of care because they face a particularly difficult surgery or have a challenging condition or added risk because of other health problems or age.

The U.S. News & World Report "2014-2015 America's Best Hospitals" is available at, http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals, and will appear in the 2015 "America's Best Hospitals" guidebook in August. The specific rating for The University of Tennessee Medical Center is available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/tn/university-of-tennessee-medical-center-6520575.

The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center, the region's only hospital to achieve status as a Magnet® recognized organization, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center, a 581-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region's only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information about The University of Tennessee Medical Center, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.

Photos accompanying this release are available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=26508
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=26509

CONTACT:Jim Ragonese
         Public Relations Operations
         The University of Tennessee Medical Center
         (865) 305-6845
         jragones@utmck.edu
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