Lexington hospital continues streak ranked Kentucky’s best by US News & World Report

University of Kentucky’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital has been named the best hospital in Kentucky for the fifth year in a row, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings.

It also earned a national ranking for its cancer care and continues to climb up the publication’s rankings.

“This has been a challenging year, to put it mildly. But in these times, it’s more important than ever that Kentuckians with complex health problems have a medical center they can come to for best treatment options possible,” Dr. Mark F. Newman, UK executive vice president for health affairs, said in a statement. “To have received this honor now for the fifth consecutive year shows that not only is UK HealthCare the best in Kentucky, we are the best for Kentucky.”

The Best Hospital Rankings evaluate 25 adult specialties, procedures and conditions for nearly 5,000 hospitals throughout the country and use statistics such as survival and readmission rates, patient volume, patient experience, patient safety and nursing quality. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore were ranked as the top three hospitals in the U.S.. The organization also names the top hospitals in each state.

Chandler Hospital’s cancer care ranking was 50th in 2017, 38th in 2018 and 33rd last year. It is now ranked 29th in the U.S.

“With Kentucky still holding the unfortunate ranking of being No. 1 in overall cancer incidence and mortality, nowhere in the country is it more important for patients to have access to the best possible cancer care,” Dr. Mark Evers, director of the UK Markey Cancer Center, said in the statement. “But we at Markey [are] seeing positive changes on that front. We are treating and saving more patients than ever before. This latest ranking is further evidence of how we are making progress toward our goal of conquering cancer in the Commonwealth.”

Five adult specialties at Chandler Hospital were ranked as high performing: gastroenterology and GI Surgery, geriatrics, nephrology, orthopedics and urology. It also had seven adult procedures and conditions noted as high performing: aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement and lung cancer surgery.

Statewide, Baptist Health Louisville and St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood are tied for second place. Baptist Health Lexington, which was second in 2018 and third in 2019, is now ranked No. 4.

Baptist Health Lexington is noted as high performing in the following conditions or procedures: lung cancer surgery, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, heart bypass surgery, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“We are pleased to be in the top five in the state,” Baptist Health spokeswoman Ruth Ann Childers said. “We are very proud of our patient safety and quality metrics and awards, and the physicians and staff that take great care of our patients.”

Kentucky’s top hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report:

1. University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital

2. Baptist Health Louisville

2. St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood-Covington Hospitals

3. Baptist Health Lexington

4. Norton Hospital, in Louisville

5. Jewish Hospital, in Louisville

6. Saint Joseph Hospital- Lexington

This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 12:38 PM.