U.S. News & World Report has ranked Valley Children’s Hospital as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country in neonatology in the new 2016-2017 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.
The recognition is significant because the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings help parents determine where to get the best medical care for their children. The rankings highlight the top 50 U.S. pediatric facilities.
“This prestigious first for Valley Children’s reflects the innovative, compassionate, family-centered care we deliver 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the NICU and across all of our pediatric subspecialties,” says Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “Our teams never stop collaborating to achieve our goal of providing high-quality, safe patient care. We do it to improve a child’s life and to fulfill a sacred trust given to us by each family that brings their child to us.”
“The Best Children’s Hospitals highlight pediatric centers that offer exceptional care for the kids who need the most help,” says U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. “Day in and day out, they deliver state-of-the-art medical care.”
Valley Children’s neonatal intensive care unit is the region’s only NICU certified by the state of California as a Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – the highest level NICU possible. Valley Children’s also has the region’s only Level IV NICU, meaning it meets the highest standards set by the Academy of Pediatrics and is staffed and equipped to provide expert care for the tiniest and most critically ill babies.
As a Level IV NICU, Valley Children’s offers all levels of neonatal intensive care, from support for babies needing a little extra attention, to complex medical and surgical care, including surgical repair of complex heart anomalies that require cardiopulmonary bypass, spina bifida, gastroschisis and other life-threatening conditions. Regional NICUs also provide education and consultation to nurseries and neonatal units in other hospitals and facilitate transport.
Valley Children’s 88-bed regional Level IV NICU provides 24-hour coverage by board-certified neonatologists who have immediate, onsite access to pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists who cover the full range of pediatric medicine and coordinate with nurses and other staff specially trained in the unique needs of infants, children and adolescents. Valley Children’s is a Magnet-recognized™ organization demonstrating excellence in nursing practice and quality patient care.
Valley Children’s also provides Community and Intermediate neonatal intensive care for newborns and infants at partner hospitals in Fresno, Merced and Hanford. These units offer families with critically ill babies the opportunity to receive skilled treatment closer to home.
“Our NICU outcomes aren’t just very good – they’re phenomenal,” says Valley Children’s Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety Dr. Karen Dahl. “We have achieved some of the best survival and lowest complication rates in the nation. It takes diligence, experience and the right people and tools to achieve amazing results like this.”
“I want to thank the NICU team of 12 neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, more than 200 pediatric neonatal nurses, dozens of pediatric respiratory therapists, our multidisciplinary care team and the rest of our support crew for bringing their best every day,” says Chief of Newborn Medicine Dr. Jeffrey Pietz. “But this recognition isn’t just about the NICU. Our babies are cared for by so many others throughout the Valley Children’s network. From pediatric specialists in every discipline including brain surgery, heart surgery, plastic surgery to gastroenterology, endocrinology, genetics and more, it is our entire team working together with the same goal in mind - to help a child become well. Without everyone here, we would never be able to achieve the great results we do.”
The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. Survival rates, adequacy of nurse staffing, procedure volume and much more can be viewed on http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/pediatric-rankings. The rankings will be published in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2017” guidebook, available for pre-sale Aug. 1.
For more information on Valley Children’s Neonatology program and clinical outcomes, and a more in-depth look at what the ranking means, visit valleychildrens.org/USNews.