FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Communications and Marketing

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957, schampli@uthsc.edu

 

 

Core Teaching Hospitals for

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Among Best in Nation

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            Memphis, Tenn. (June 11, 2012) – U.S. News & World Report rankings have spotlighted Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Methodist University Hospital, and Erlanger Health System, three core teaching hospitals for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), citing them for being among the best in the nation. 

“This is not only a tribute to these hospitals but also to our faculty, residents and fellows who together make up the lion’s share of physicians in these two facilities,” said Steve J. Schwab, MD, UTHSC chancellor.

For the second consecutive year, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital was named one of the best children’s hospitals in the country.  The 2012-2013 U.S. News list recognized Le Bonheur for its outstanding work in five areas (up from four last year) of specialty: neurology/neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, nephrology, and cardiology/heart surgery.  The UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists faculty practice, with UTHSC faculty in Campbell Clinic Orthopedics and Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute, constitutes the overwhelming majority of the specialist physicians in Le Bonheur. 

“These doctors are our faculty members who teach medical students, and train UTHSC residents and fellows to provide quality patient care at the hospital, plus many perform their research through UTHSC,” Chancellor Schwab noted.  To read more about the Le Bonheur rankings, visit: http://www.lebonheur.org/articles/once-again-le-bonheur-named-among-nation-s-best

Another UTHSC core teaching hospital, Methodist University Hospital (MUH), has also been ranked among the nation‘s best by U.S. News & World Report.  In July 2011, MUH was recognized for its national standing in orthopedics and received special mention in transplantation (an area that is not ranked). 

“Our faculty in UT Medical Group, and now in the new UT-Methodist Practice Group, with Campbell and Semmes, play steadily increasing roles in this hospital as well,” Dr. Schwab observed.  “We hope this year’s rankings, which should be issued shortly, will be similarly favorable for MUH.”   

Across the state, there are only four nationally ranked hospitals -- Le Bonheur and Methodist University in Memphis, and Vanderbilt Adult and Children’s in Nashville.  At the regional level, Methodist University Hospital and Le Bonheur were selected as the best in West Tennessee with 11 areas of performance excellence in addition to their six areas that earned national ranking or acknowledgement.

            Additionally, for 2011-2012, Erlanger Health System was named the best Regional Hospital in the Chattanooga area by U.S. News & World Report.  The publication cited Erlanger as high-performing in six areas: diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, gynecology, kidney disorders, pulmonology, and urology.  Erlanger is a main teaching hospital site for UTHSC where the university provides excellence in medical student and postgraduate physician education.  To read more about their rankings, visit: 

 http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/erlanger-medical-center-6520065

“Our faculty and staff’s individual and collective commitment to compassionate, quality patient care and excellence in everything they do are central drivers of these high rankings.  We applaud them and our health care partners as we forge ahead together to even greater accomplishments for the benefit of our statewide community,” Chancellor Schwab said.

            As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service.  In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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