Holtz Children’s Hospital ranked in six specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2013-14 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2013-14 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, published online June 11. The rankings feature 50 hospitals in each of the 10 pediatric specialties.

Holtz was ranked in six specialties this year: 22nd in gastroenterology and GI surgery, 22nd in nephrology, 32nd in neonatology, 38th in urology, 40th in cardiology and heart surgery, and 45th in diabetes and endocrinology. Most notably, Holtz improved its ranking in five of these specialties: gastroenterology and GI surgery, nephrology, neonatology, cardiology and heart surgery, and urology.

“To be recognized in six specialties reflects the world-class excellence of the dedicated medical team at Jackson’s Holtz Children’s Hospital and the UM Miller School Department of Pediatrics,” said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School of Medicine.

“Once again, Holtz Children’s Hospital is recognized for the unmatched medical expertise and compassionate care that its medical team provides to young patients locally and from around the world,” said Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System. “This honor is a testament to our continued commitment to excellence.”

The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings pull together clinical and operational data from a lengthy survey completed by the hospitals. That survey asks hundreds of questions about survival rates, nurse staffing, subspecialist availability, and many more pieces of critical information. Data from the survey are combined with recommendations from pediatric specialists nationwide on the hospitals they consider best for children with challenging medical problems.

For more than 50 years, UM physicians and Jackson nurses have served children in South Florida and those who come from all over the world.

Judith L. Schaechter, professor and interim chair of pediatrics, said rising in this national ranking “demonstrates that the pediatric care provided by our doctors and the entire staff at Holtz is truly outstanding and recognized by our peers. The tireless efforts of our team continue to make strides against disease and allow children to more quickly return to health and enjoy childhood as they should.”

“At Holtz, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of quality care and cutting-edge treatment to every child who walks through our doors,” said Steven Burghart, chief administrative officer of Holtz Children’s Hospital. “Achieving such high marks while taking care of every patient, regardless of how complex their medical or financial needs, makes this recognition of our team even more special.”

“We’re proud to be recognized among the nation’s elite children’s hospitals,” said Barry Gelman, associate professor of pediatrics and chief medical officer of Holtz Children’s Hospital. “Our special partnership between the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Health System offers many of the finest programs, best specialists, and most advanced treatments to the children of South Florida and beyond.”

The rankings highlight the top 50 U.S. hospitals in each of these pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. Eighty-seven hospitals ranked in at least one of the 10 specialties.

U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of sick children find the best medical care available. The rankings offer families an exclusive look at quality-related information at the individual hospital level.

This year U.S. News surveyed 179 pediatric centers to obtain hard data such as availability of key resources and ability to prevent complications and infections. The hospital survey results made up 75 percent of the rankings. A separate reputational survey in which 1,500 pediatric specialists—150 in each specialty—were asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty made up the remaining 25 percent.

The ranking can be viewed online and also will appear in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2014 print edition, available in August.

Holtz Children’s Hospital is one of the largest children’s hospitals in the southeastern United States. Through its experienced medical and support staff, including some of the top pediatricians in the nation, the facility provides research and treatment in a wide range of pediatric medical specialties.