August 10, 2023
My wife and I have been living vicariously through our grown kids this summer. And that’s just fine with us. When a friend said to me once, “Your kids seem to be having great adventures,” that made me almost as proud as knowing they’ve become good citizens.
The DadBrag almost ends here, although I have an arsenal of dad jokes, if you’re interested.
The WorkBrag commences. But only for a minute.
The University of Kansas Health System got the news last week that U.S. News & World Report ranked The University of Kansas Hospital best in Kansas City and best in Kansas. Humbly, we’re grateful to point out we’ve received that recognition for the greater Kansas City area 14 straight years and for Kansas 12 times. No other hospital has ever received these honors.
I wrote about this a year ago when our KC and Kansas streaks hit 13 and 11 and pointed out we don’t apply for these honors. We know they result from what president and CEO Bob Page has called the best healthcare team in the country. And the head of our Kansas City division, where these honors are centered, echoed those remarks when the 2023-24 report came out.
“Our exceptional team comes to work every day dedicated to providing care that combines clinical expertise with compassion,” said Tammy Peterman, president of the Kansas City Division and executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of The University of Kansas Health System. “We are proud of the positive impact we have on the lives of so many patients and families every year, and we are grateful U.S. News continues to recognize our hospital as one of the best places to receive care in the nation.”
Among the best of the best
The state rankings got me thinking about other honorees. The other 49 who represented Best in State. We’re happy to see that Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is recognized again. We’ve bettered them the last 3 summers in a friendly competition to see who could compile the most employee steps. Each year, our hard-fought victory has netted $5,000 to Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging to cancer patients locally. I wrote about that, too. Nebraska Medicine’s a terrific place.
Then I started thinking of my kids’ travels.
Our oldest flew to Alaska for a friend’s wedding. Nothing’s close by in Alaska. But he probably drove right past Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, which shares the award with Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Our second oldest hit the East Coast just for fun and stayed on the beach in Rhode Island. Everything’s close in Rhode Island, and she wasn’t far from Miriam Hospital in Providence. Finally, our No. 3 danced for a month in North Carolina. Had she needed medical care, she was only an hour-plus from Duke University Hospital in Durham.
For all the debates on healthcare, Americans have great care in spades. And the U.S. News & World Report recognizes the best of the best.
“The University of Kansas Health System is committed to ensuring every resident of our city, state and region has access to the most advanced care, close to home,” said Page. “We appreciate the recognition by U.S. News & World Report as the best hospital in Kansas and in Kansas City. What drives us is the difference we make to our patients and our community every day. We are grateful to those who have entrusted us with their care and are committed to continuing to make the highest quality care available in Kansas City and beyond.”
Final Brag: Of the more than 4,500 hospitals in the country, only 164 ranked in the Top 50 for a particular discipline. We ranked in 8 specialties. You can read those below.
We are proud of the positive impact we have on the lives of so many patients and families every year ... and we are grateful U.S. News continues to recognize our hospital as one of the best places to receive care in the nation.
Tammy Peterman, president of the Kansas City Division
Great care provides peace of mind
Not only is it good to know where a great hospital is when your kids are out living their best lives. It’s comforting to know their homebase is, you guessed it, right up the road from The University of Kansas Health System.
That’s the peace of mind anyone wants for a loved one wherever they go.
U.S. News rankings
Here are the 8 areas where The University of Kansas Health System ranked among the Top 50 in the U.S. News & World Report announcement. This ranking represents the top 1% of hospitals in the nation.
Top 50 (top 1%) in nation:
- Cancer (No. 47)
- Cardiology and Heart Surgery (No. 49)
- Ear, Nose and Throat (No. 34)
- Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (No. 44)
- Geriatrics (No. 34)
- Neurology and Neurosurgery (No. 25)
- Orthopedics (No. 43)
- Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (No. 30)
The health system also ranked in the top 10% of hospitals in 2 areas deemed High Performing:
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- Urology