UW Medical Center slips one notch in survey

The University of Washington Medical Center was ranked 11th best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, slipping one point from last year's rating.

The top-rated hospital in the survey, which looked at care at 5,462 medical centers across the nation, was Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

The annual survey, which also reviewed 16 specialty areas, considered reputation, death rate and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services.

In the specialty areas, the UW did well in gynecology (ninth place), cancer (sixth place) and rehabilitation medicine (third place, with Harborview Medical Center, part of the UW system).

The UW slipped in a couple of areas, although still ranked in the top 50: neurology and neurosurgery (30th place, down from 17th), and digestive disorders (30th place, down from 17th).

Virginia Mason Medical Center was ranked 23rd nationally in care for digestive disorders.

Swedish Medical Center was ranked 45th in endocrinology (primarily care of diabetes).

Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com