Houston – Texas Children’s Hospital received the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, maintaining its position as the #1 children’s hospital in Texas for the 18th consecutive year. The hospital also retained the #1 spot in the Southwest region for the sixth year in a row, and every specialty evaluated earned national recognition.
National leadership in heart care and diabetes
The Texas Children’s Heart Center was ranked No. 1 in Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery for the 10th straight year, underscoring a decade of clinical excellence. In addition, the hospital’s Diabetes & Endocrinology program secured the nation’s top ranking, reflecting its comprehensive, evidence‑based approach to caring for children with diabetes and complex endocrine disorders.
Broad specialty strength
Beyond heart and diabetes, Texas Children’s earned high marks across a range of specialties:
- No. 2 – Nephrology (Kidney disorders)
- No. 2 – Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
- No. 2 – Urology
- No. 3 – Neurology & Neurosurgery
- No. 5 – Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- No. 5 – Neonatology
- No. 5 – Orthopedics
- No. 12 – Cancer
- Top 50 – Behavioral Health
Five of the top‑five specialties fell within the top two nationally, and nine specialties ranked among the nation’s top five, highlighting the depth of expertise available to families throughout Texas and the Southwest.
What the rankings mean for families
“For families facing the most complex or common diagnoses, these rankings represent something deeply personal: confidence that their child can receive extraordinary care from teams who are committed to clinical excellence and solving the unsolvable,” said Dr. Debra Sukin, President and CEO of Texas Children’s. She added that the sustained national leadership reflects the skill, compassion, and relentless commitment of the hospital’s physicians, nurses, researchers, and staff.
Dr. Larry Hollier, President of Health Affairs at Texas Children’s and Vice Chair of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, emphasized the collaborative nature of the institution: “Having every evaluated specialty recognized nationally reflects the depth of clinical expertise, research and innovation across Texas Children’s. It also speaks to the collaboration among our physicians, nurses, and the many other clinical professionals who bring their expertise to patients with the most complex needs.”
Heart Center impact
For more than six decades, the Heart Center has combined advanced technology with family‑centered care. Each year the program performs over 1,000 heart surgeries and 1,600 cardiac catheterization procedures, treating some of the rarest and most complex congenital heart conditions in the nation.
Diabetes & Endocrinology excellence
The Diabetes & Endocrinology program delivers multidisciplinary care across multiple clinic locations, utilizing standardized protocols, same‑day sick clinics, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and real‑time clinical alerts to improve outcomes and expand access for children with diabetes and endocrine disorders.
Methodology behind the rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s methodology considers clinical outcomes, patient safety, infection prevention, nurse staffing, resources, and input from pediatric specialists. The rankings are designed to help families identify hospitals that excel in treating rare or life‑threatening illnesses.
About Texas Children’s
Texas Children’s is a nonprofit health‑care organization dedicated to creating a healthier future for children and women worldwide through patient care, education, and research. The system includes the flagship hospital in Houston, regional campuses in West Houston, The Woodlands, and North Austin, as well as the nation’s first pediatric‑focused HMO, a vast primary‑care network, urgent‑care clinics, and a global health program that extends care to children and women around the globe.
For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
