Atrium Health's Levine Children's Hospital Named a "Best Children's Hospital" for 15th Consecutive Year

Only children's hospital in region ranked among top 50; recognized in eight pediatric specialties

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 15th consecutive year, Atrium Health's Levine Children's Hospital has been recognized as one of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Children's Hospitals." This year, the hospital ranked among the top 50 in the country in eight pediatric specialties and remains the only children's hospital in Charlotte to be given this prominent distinction.

"It's amazing to think that Levine Children's Hospital first opened its doors to our community 15 years ago, earning the title of a 'Best Children's Hospital' every single year since," said Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health. "This recognition speaks to the dedication of our incredible teammates, who work tirelessly to serve our youngest patients – and their families – with superior care. It's not only about finding the best and safest treatment options for each individual patient, but also about adding a warm, personal touch to every experience. That's what sets Atrium Health apart from all the rest."

U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals rankings are considered the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals. Rankings are determined based on key clinical data from nearly 200 medical centers, through a detailed survey that looks at measures such as reputation, patient and family satisfaction, patient safety and outcomes, infection prevention and compliance with best practices.

Levine Children's Hospital received a top 50 national ranking in the following specialties:

• Cardiology & Heart Surgery
• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
• Neonatology
• Nephrology
• Neurology & Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
• Urology

"When we opened in 2007, we made a commitment to offer the community the highest quality care, in the most compassionate way," said Dr. Stacy Nicholson, president of Atrium Health Levine Children's. "Now, we care for more than 130,000 patients every year. While we are proud to provide many of the region's top, innovative technologies and therapies, what remains most important is the opportunity to provide each child with individualized, friendly care close to home."

With a shared vision to consistently expand and improve care available to patients, Levine Children's Hospital has been recognized for outstanding clinical care and milestones, including:

• Launching the only pediatric heart surgery program in the region, which performed 19 pediatric heart transplants in 2021 – the most on the entire East coast – and the only program to care for patients with congenital heart disease from before birth through adulthood.
• Serving as the first team in the Charlotte region to offer a new, FDA-approved therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in children and teens.
• Creating the largest pediatric dialysis center in the Carolinas and the largest Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the area, with the highest level of expert care for families.
• Establishing the region's first and only accredited cystic fibrosis center and the region's only orthopedic congenital hand program.
• Forming the largest team of pediatric epilepsy providers in the area, with state-of-the-art technologies.
• Providing the region's only robot-assisted urologic surgery, helping urology rank as a top 50 specialty for the first time since Levine Children's Hospital's establishment.

"Being nationally recognized as a top children's hospital is an honor that continues to humble and strengthen us over time," said Callie Dobbins, senior vice president of Levine Children's. "Achieving this status is something that must be earned through clinical excellence, which is why we treat each day as a unique opportunity to improve the value of what we bring to our patients and their families. The medical milestones we have achieved over the past year were fulfilled with the sole purpose of providing families peace of mind that their children are receiving the best care at Levine Children's."

In addition to more than 30 specialty clinical programs, the families cared for by Atrium Health Levine Children's have access to an entire network of children's services, including the area's only Level I pediatric trauma center in the region. With over 150 pediatricians across North Carolina and South Carolina, families across the region have immediate access to best-in-class primary care, with a direct line to Levine Children's Hospital should a child need the specialized level of care available there.

To learn more about the Levine Children's Hospital rankings, please visit levinechildrens.org/best  and join our conversations by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For survival rates, adequacy of nurse staffing, procedure and patient volume, availability of programs for specific illnesses and conditions, and for the full rankings, visit Best Children's Hospitals.

Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health is an integrated, nonprofit health system with more than 70,000 teammates serving patients at 40 hospitals and more than 1,400 care locations. It provides care under the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist name in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, region, as well as Atrium Health Navicent and Atrium Health Floyd in Georgia and Alabama. Atrium Health is renowned for its top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. A recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the academic core of the enterprise, including Wake Forest Innovations, which is advancing new medical technologies and biomedical discoveries. Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. Ranked nationally among U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals in eight pediatric specialties and for rehabilitation, Atrium Health has also received the American Hospital Association's Quest for Quality Prize and its 2021 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, as well as the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all, providing more than $2 billion per year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.

SOURCE The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority d/b/a Atrium Health