Children's Mercy ranks No. 2 in Missouri
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Children's Mercy Adele Hall Campus. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Children's Mercy Hospital is once again considered one of the top pediatric hospitals in the Midwest, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2025 ranking released today.
The big picture: The hospital's top-rated specialty services, ranging from heart surgery to diabetes treatments, gave it a leg up as a premier health system for families in Kansas City and beyond.
By the numbers: The hospital is the No. 2 children's hospital in Missouri, second only to St. Louis Children's Hospital at Washington University.
- It is ranked No. 10 in the Midwest — in part because there was a two-way tie for No. 1 and a six-way tie for No. 3.
- And it showed up in nine out of 11 specialty categories, with the highest ranking in nephrology, or kidney medicine.
The intrigue: Only 32 hospitals in the country earned recognition in so many specialties, according to Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.
How it works: The rankings come from insights from more than 100 medical centers, such as patient safety, infection prevention and nursing staffing, according to U.S. News.
Between the lines: The ranking is down from last year's, when Children's Mercy was No. 1 in the Midwest and ranked in all 11 specialties.
Fun fact: It was the second year U.S. News evaluated hospitals on behavioral health, which includes language and learning disorders, mental health diagnoses, and substance abuse and addiction.
- "One in five U.S. children has a mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder and nearly one in three youth ages 12 to 17 are navigating a mental or behavioral health condition," Harder said in a statement.
- Children's Mercy ranked in the top 50 with no specific number.
What's next: The hospital is expanding its Wichita footprint with the construction of a new clinic set to open in 2026.