Why Cleveland Clinic tumbled to No. 8 in U.S. News heart rankings
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Cleveland Clinic main campus. Photo: Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic has fallen to No. 8 in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of hospitals for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, a stunning tumble for an institution that spent three decades as the nation's undisputed leader in heart care.
Why it matters: Despite the decline in that specialty, the Clinic once again landed on U.S. News' prestigious Honor Roll, which annually recognizes the nation's 20 best hospitals.
- The publication also named Cleveland Clinic the top hospital in Ohio and introduced new regional specialty rankings to help patients identify high-performing hospitals closer to home.
Between the lines: The lower heart ranking is less about a decline in Cleveland Clinic's care than a major overhaul of U.S. News' methodology, Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor, tells Axios.
By the numbers: This year, 80% of each hospital's cardiology score came from 41 patient outcome measures, such as mortality and complication rates.
- Physician reputation surveys and patient volume — once major components of the rankings — no longer factor into the score.
What they're saying: "While in a slightly different order, the top eight heart and vascular hospitals in the nation are the same institutions U.S. News recognized as the top eight last year," Harder said.
- "The relative consistency at the top of the rankings, despite this year's methodological revamp, indicates that — no matter how one looks at the data — Cleveland Clinic and its peers truly excel in cardiology, heart & vascular surgery."
Zoom in: The Clinic also earned Top 20 rankings in gastroenterology (No. 2), rheumatology (2), pulmonology (6), geriatric care (7), ophthalmology (11), urology (11), neurology (12), cancer (16) and obstetrics (18).
The other side: Clinic spokesperson Andrea Pacceti tells Axios that U.S. News' new scoring methodology "may not take into account the full complexity of some of our most complicated patients."
- The Clinic performed 7,000 heart surgeries last year.
The bottom line: "We are grateful for the dedication of our caregivers and the trust our patients place in us every day," said Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, in a statement.
- "Our responsibility is to be a beacon of hope to patients and families who have no place else to go. We will continue to accept the most challenging cases in medicine and provide exceptional care for every life we touch."