FROM THE PRESIDENT

For the 12th year, U.S. News & World Report has published its rankings of "America's Best Hospitals." This year five Texas Medical Center institutions have ranked among the nation's best.

The survey is designed to help patients choose the best possible health care facility for their specific need. The level of care provided by the five recognized institutions is unmatched in Houston, and in many cases throughout the entire South or Southwest regions of the United States. The five TMC institutions are: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The Methodist Hospital, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. All are leaders in patient care and research.

Take, for example, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The hospital has ranked as one of the two top hospitals in cancer care since the magazine began its annual survey in 1990. Of the 50 best cancer hospitals on the list, M. D. Anderson has the highest nurse-to-bed ratio at 2.68. In the last 60 years, M. D. Anderson has built a worldwide reputation for excellence in cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The hospital's various departments work as a team to deliver multidisciplinary cancer care, a concept pioneered at M. D. Anderson.

Out of the five categories for which The Methodist Hospital was recognized, the hospital ranked highest in neurology/neurosurgery, and urology. Methodist is home to a number of neurology/ neurosurgery centers dedicated to treating, preventing and researching neurologic diseases including stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, brain and spinal tumors, gene therapy for brain tumors and central nervous system injuries, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, and pain management. The Urology Institute at Methodist is made up of a team of more than 20 board-certified physicians, all leaders in the field of urology. Patients benefit from leading-edge treatments, as well as some of today's most sophisticated technology and advanced research.

During the 12 consecutive years that TIRR has been named one of the top rehabilitation centers in the country, the hospital has provided care to more than 12,000 patients from around the world. In addition, TIRR has been recognized internationally for its U.S. Department of Education Model System programs in brain and spinal cord injuries.

Texas Children's Hospital is home to the largest neonatal intensive care unit in the United States, one of the nation's busiest pediatric emergency centers, and more than 40 pediatric subspecialties. Texas Children's has more than 5,800 employees, 1,460 physicians on its medical staff, and records more than 1.2 million patient encounters annually.

The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has been the scene of major advances in the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of cardiovascular disease, including the first successful heart transplant in the United States; the first implantation of an artificial heart in man; the first implantation in the world of the Jarvik 2000, a heart-assist device approximately the size of a "C" battery; the use of mechanical devices as bridges to transplant and the development of new applications for stents and stent-like devices.

These five institutions, heralded for their outstanding accomplishments, research and uncompromised patient care, are among a select group.

It's because of institutions like these that the Texas Medical Center is called the "crown jewel" of Texas, and remains a "city of health" that benefits all who walk through its doors.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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