We did it—again!

Dear Colleagues:

For the 21st year in a row, The Johns Hopkins Hospital has taken the top spot in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of American hospitals, placing first in five medical specialties and in the top five in 10 others.

Even as we acknowledge our collective delight with this long, unbroken string of top rankings, we want to give credit to those who really make Hopkins Hospital number one. No matter how historic or iconic, a building is merely bricks and mortar. It's the dedicated people within that building who make it truly great. It's you who provide the finest care to our patients and their families. You are at the center of our continual search for better treatment, better answers and better discoveries. Our hospital is exceptional because you are exceptional.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked in the top 10 in 15 of the 16 specialty categories listed. In addition to landing in the #1 spot on the Honor Roll, the hospital ranked #1 in neurology and neurosurgery, urology, psychiatry, rheumatology, and ear, nose and throat; #2 in gynecology and ophthalmology; #3 in nephrology, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology (digestive diseases), geriatrics, cardiology and heart surgery, and cancer; #4 in pulmonology (respiratory diseases); #5 in orthopedics; and #15 in rehabilitation.

Other hospital members of Johns Hopkins Medicine listed in U.S. News & World Report's 2011-12 best hospital rankings include Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Howard County General Hospital, Suburban Hospital and Sibley Memorial Hospital. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center was nationally ranked #13 in geriatrics and was ranked as high-performing in the specialties of diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology for the Baltimore metro region. Howard County General Hospital was also ranked as a top-performing hospital in the Baltimore metro area for diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and urology. In the Washington, D.C., metro area, Suburban was listed as a high-performing hospital in ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology, while Sibley was listed as high-performing in the areas of gynecology and orthopedics.

A detailed list of the rankings and information about how they are put together are available at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/usnews and at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.

These types of third-party evaluations of clinical services can be potentially useful to consumers, but we must also be aware that each of the various rankings and ratings that are available today has weaknesses and strengths. Those seeking the health care that is best for them are urged to consider a number of factors when making decisions.

The medical centers on the magazine's honor roll are superb, and we are privileged to be in their good company. We congratulate them all, but for now, our special thanks to you, for all that you give to Hopkins.

Sincerely,

Edward D. Miller, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine