M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is ranked the nation’s top cancer hospital in U.S.

For the third consecutive year and fourth time in five years, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is ranked the nation’s top cancer hospital in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” survey, published in the magazine’s July 12 issue.

In addition to the number one ranking in cancer, three M. D. Anderson specialties are ranked among the nation’s best, including gynecology (5), ear, nose and throat (10) and urology (10). According to U.S. News & World Report, only 177 of the nation’s 6,012 hospitals ranked in even a single specialty this year.

“To be named the best in cancer care recognizes the commitment and skills that our faculty, employees and volunteers bring to our patients every day,” says John Mendelsohn, M.D., the institution’s president. “New discoveries and knowledge continue to advance ways to treat this devastating disease. We are proud to be ranked number one for our accomplishments, and are grateful for the progress we have been able to make for our patients and for bettering cancer treatment worldwide.”

M. D. Anderson has ranked as one of the top two hospitals in cancer care since the magazine began its annual survey 15 years ago in 1990. It has ranked at the top of the survey in 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000 and 1992.

The survey is conducted for U.S. News & World Report using rigorous criteria developed by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The rankings are based upon a survey of board-certified physicians around the country, patient survival data and various indicators such as the ratio of nurses to inpatient beds, key technologies and services available to patients, and Magnet status determined by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.