Piedmont Ranked Top Metro Acute-Care Hospital

Buckhead's is the top acute-care community hospital in metro Atlanta, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Piedmont was named the metro area's No. 2 hospital overall in the magazine's 2011-12 Best Hospitals list. Previously, Piedmont received the No. 3 ranking.

In addition, the magazine gave Piedmont's neighbor, the Shepherd Center, the No. 3 metro ranking. Emory Hospital received the No. 1 spot.

The magazine also gave Piedmont its first national ranking, in gastroenterology, and recognition for 10 other high-performing specialties, according to an announcement from the hospital.

Along with the No. 48 ranking for Piedmont’s gastroenterology program, a total of 10 specialties were listed as high-performing: cancer care; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; ear, nose and throat; geriatrics; gynecology; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; and pulmonology.

“As we navigate a changing health care industry, providing safe, quality care and service is extremely important, and we will strive to sustain clinical excellence by raising the bar each year,”  Les Donahue, president and CEO of Piedmont Hospital, said in the announcement. “We are honored to share the news of this success with the communities we serve, and we are pleased to receive our first national recognition for our gastroenterology program.”

The U.S. News and World Report has published the annual Best Hospitals list for more than 20 years, identifying the top hospitals in their field nationwide. Earlier this year, the list was expanded to top hospitals among 94 metro areas.

To be ranked in its metro area, a hospital had to score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of 16 medical specialties. Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most specialties — survival rates (32.5 percent); reputation among physicians (32.5 percent); patient safety (5 percent), and other care-related indicators like patient satisfaction, technology, and nurse staffing (30 percent).

The Best Hospitals metro area rankings are available online at usnews.com/hospitals.

The rankings will also be featured in the U.S. News Best Hospitals guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.