Ochsner Hospital for Children Named #1 in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report

NEW ORLEANS, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ochsner Hospital for Children has been named #1 in Louisiana in the new Best Children's Hospitals for 2021 – 22 rankings published online today by U.S. News & World Report – the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice. Ochsner Hospital for Children was also recognized in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery in the new rankings. This is the fifth consecutive year Ochsner Hospital for Children has been recognized as a top Children's Hospital. Ochsner Hospital for Children is once again the only children's hospital in Louisiana to receive this prestigious honor. 

Dr. William Lennarz, MD, System Chair of Pediatrics, Ochsner Hospital for Children said, "From schools closing to social distancing, we recognize a lot has changed for kids (and adults too) over the past year. What remains the same, however, is Ochsner Hospital for Children's unwavering commitment to providing high quality care to kids across the state of Louisiana. We are proud of our team's commitment to always putting patients first and making Ochsner Hospital for Children a destination for pediatric care in our region."

The 15^th annual Best Children's Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the United States in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology & lung surgery and urology. New this year, the Best Children's Hospitals rankings included state rankings with Ochsner Hospital for Children securing the coveted top spot in Louisiana.

U.S. News & World Report introduced the Best Children's Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. The rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on pediatric hospitals in the United States and rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The rankings methodology factors objective measures such as patient outcomes, including mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices.

"When choosing a hospital for a sick child, many parents want specialized expertise, convenience and caring medical professionals," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.  "The Best Children's Hospitals rankings have always highlighted hospitals that excel in specialized care. As the pandemic continues to affect travel, finding high-quality care close to home has never been more important."

The multidisciplinary team at Ochsner Hospital for Children has been recognized as a national leader in pediatric care before. Accolades include:

• Recognition as a U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospital for cardiology in 2020, cardiology and gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery in 2019, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery in 2018 and cardiology in 2017.
• In 2019, Ochsner teamed up with Mayo Clinic and other healthcare leaders as a member of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – rare condition where the left side of the heart does not form correctly, requiring the right side of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and body.
• Ochsner's Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery Program's surgical outcomes continue to exceed national averages. Since 2017, Ochsner has achieved 100 percent survival in neonatal heart surgeries, compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons mortality rate of eight percent.

Over the past year, Ochsner Hospital for Children has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 response, serving as a key resource for the Louisiana Department of Education as well as more than 160 schools across the state as they navigated reopening safely. Additionally, Ochsner Hospital for Children continues to play a vital role in COVID-19 research. It is one of two locations in Louisiana to participate in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials for adolescents, which recently began enrolling children volunteers ages 5 – 11, with the goal of enrolling children as young as six months old in the near future.

Warner Thomas, CEO and President, Ochsner Health said, "It takes a lot of dedication, innovation and passion to be named one of the best Children's Hospitals in the country and the best Children's Hospital in the state of Louisiana. This amazing accomplishment is the result of our physicians and multidisciplinary care team working hand in hand to provide the best possible care for our smallest patients every single day. The work we do here and now is an investment in the health and wellbeing of our children and will lay the foundation for a healthier state for generations to come."

With a footprint spanning the state of Louisiana and into Mississippi, Ochsner Hospital for Children brings high quality pediatric care close to home, reducing barriers to healthcare – a key component of Ochsner's 10-year vision to transform Louisiana into a healthier state by 2030. Ochsner Hospital for Children has a dedicated pediatric emergency department in New Orleans is growing with new pediatric specialties anticipated to come online and more than a dozen new providers slated to join the team this year. Earlier this year, Ochsner announced the expansion of Ochsner Medical Complex – The Grove in Baton Rouge, LA to include a pediatric super-clinic as well as a multi-disciplinary Autism Clinic housed within the Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development at Ochsner Hospital for Children.  

Ochsner Hospital for Children has offered exceptional pediatric care for more than 75 years. Ochsner Hospital for Children offers the only pediatric heart and liver transplant program in the state, serving over 76,000 children every year with more than 140 physicians specializing in more than 30 pediatric specialties and sub-specialties. Its flagship facility is in New Orleans, with subspecialty clinics across Louisiana and in Mississippi.

For more information about Ochsner Hospital for Children, please visit www.ochsner.org/pediatrics. For more information, visit Best Children's Hospitals and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Ochsner Health is a not-for-profit committed to giving back to the communities it serves through preventative screenings, health and wellness resources and partnerships with innovative organizations that share our vision. Ochsner Health healed more than 900,000 people from across the globe in 2020, providing the latest medical breakthroughs and therapies, including digital medicine for chronic conditions and telehealth specialty services. Ochsner Health is a national leader, named the top hospital in Louisiana and a top children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report. As Louisiana's leading healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. Ochsner Health is innovating healthcare by investing in new technologies and research to make world-class care more accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner's team of more than 32,000 employees and 4,500 providers are working to reinvent the future of health and wellness in the region. To learn more about Ochsner Health, please visit www.ochsner.org.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE Ochsner Hospital for Children