U.S. News ranks 10 of University of Chicago Medical Center’s programs among nation’s best — with Cancer and ENT rated highest in Illinois
The University of Chicago Medical Center’s programs in Cancer and Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) are now ranked the best in Illinois, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest survey of nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide.
Altogether, the University of Chicago Medical Center has 10 specialties that are rated among the nation’s best. Cancer climbed four places, while ENT, Neurology & Neurosurgery, and Urology saw double-digit improvements. Six other specialties also improved in their standings:
- Cancer, 12 (16 last year)
- Cardiology & Heart Surgery, 32 (38)
- Diabetes and Endocrinology, 30 (23)
- Ear, Nose & Throat, 11 (32)
- Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, 25 (22)
- Geriatrics, 40 (43)
- Neurology & Neurosurgery, 36 (47)
- Obstetrics & Gynecology, 25 (28)
- Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, 35 (30)
- Urology, 36 (49)
These standings position UCMC — which serves as the flagship of the University of Chicago Medicine health system — as one of only 25 hospitals nationwide to have at least 10 specialties on U.S. News’ 2024-25 Best Hospitals list.
“While no single list can capture all the exceptional work being done across the UChicago Medicine & Biological Sciences enterprise, we are pleased with the progress made in the care we deliver and our team’s relentless drive for higher standards that, in turn, helps to elevate our rankings,” said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs. “Our commitment to innovation and excellence in patient care continues to move us forward, and we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone at our organization for their dedication to our academic medicine mission.”
In addition to the specialty rankings, U.S. News debuted a new category that recognizes “success in caring for patients in historically underserved communities while maintaining high quality care”: The University of Chicago Medical Center has been recognized as a Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access. Of the 98 hospitals that made the list nationwide, UCMC is one of only four providers in Illinois and the only academic medical center in Chicagoland to receive the distinction.
“We are honored to be one of only four providers in Illinois — and the only academic medical center in Chicagoland — to receive U.S. News’ health equity distinction,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Health System. “This recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to providing equitable access to high quality care to the South Side and ensuring health equity in all of the communities we serve.”
U.S. News also evaluates hospital performance for common adult procedures and conditions each year. The University of Chicago Medical Center received a high-performing rating in these 16 areas:
- Aortic valve surgery
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Colon cancer surgery
- Diabetes
- Gynecological cancer surgery
- Heart attack
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart failure
- Hip fracture
- Kidney failure
- Leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
- Lung cancer surgery
- Pneumonia
- Prostate cancer surgery
- Stroke
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
To see the full rankings of all surveyed hospitals, visit the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals page.
The rankings come on the heels of the University of Chicago Medical Center’s 25th consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group and its eighth designation as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
The Medical Center's U.S. News standing reinforces its leadership in the cancer field, as the South Side-based health system builds a 575,000-square-foot freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research, set to open in 2027. UChicago Medicine has held National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation since 1974 and has been an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2008 — the gold standard for cancer programs. It is one of only two organizations in Illinois with NCI's "comprehensive" designation and one of about 30 institutions nationwide selected as Lead Academic Participation Sites for the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network.