City of Hope ranked among top 20 cancer centers nationally by U.S.News & World Report

City of Hope is recognized as one of the top 20 cancer centers in the country in U.S.News & World Report’s 2010-11 Best Hospitals rankings. City of Hope moved up to the 20th position on this year’s list of top cancer hospitals, and also ranked 38th on the list for urology. The institution is the second-highest ranked cancer hospital in the Los Angeles area and one of only six centers in California to appear on the cancer list. In urology, City of Hope is one of only three in the Los Angeles area and one of six hospitals in California, to be ranked.

“We are very pleased to be recognized once again as one of the nation’s Best Hospitals for cancer,” said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer, City of Hope, and comprehensive cancer center director. “City of Hope is an independent comprehensive cancer center that has made a considerable impact in cancer research and treatment, and our inclusion on the rankings for top hospitals in cancer and urology is testament to the excellence and commitment of our physicians, research scientists, nurses and employees.”

City of Hope is one of only 152 medical centers to appear on the prestigious annual list. Hospitals are selected from 4,852 eligible hospitals nationwide in 16 specialty areas. This marks the institution’s seventh year on the top cancer hospitals list and its fourth appearance for urology.

City of Hope is one of only 40 institutions in the nation to be designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). To earn this elite designation, a center must undergo a rigorous peer-review process, maintain a significant base of individually funded research projects and be heavily involved in community outreach, as well as meet other academic and public service requirements.

According to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, or OSHPD, City of Hope is the third largest provider of cancer care in California. The institution has the state’s largest programs in hematology and prostate cancer, the second largest program in sarcomas and the third largest program in breast cancer.

City of Hope is a recognized leader in the field of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostate surgeries. Since 2003, City of Hope physicians have performed more urologic oncology procedures than any single institution in the United States, including more robotic-assisted prostatectomies and radical cystectomies than any other center in the western U.S.

U.S. News based its cancer hospital rankings on several criteria that include reputation among board-certified physicians, mortality rate, patient safety, the number of Medicare patients discharged, the ratio of nurses to patients, NCI and nurse magnet hospital designations, the use of specific advanced technology, the availability of certain patient services, recognition by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and other factors. Urology rankings were based on similar criteria including reputation, mortality rate, Medicare patient discharges, nursing ratio, nurse magnet hospital designation, presence of an on-site trauma center, the use of advanced technology, the availability of patient services and other factors.

Complete rankings of the top hospitals are available online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and the print edition will be available on newsstands July 26.