Five specialties at UNC Hospitals ranked among nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report

Kidney Disease, 25 
Gynecology, 33
Gastrointestinal Disorders, 35
Cancer, 38
Ear, Nose & Throat, 42 

“This is the 16th year in a row that multiple specialties at UNC Hospitals have been included in America’s Best Hospitals,” said Dr. William L. Roper, dean of the UNC School of Medicine and chief executive officer of the UNC Health Care System. “Our inclusion in these rankings is a testament to the excellent quality and longstanding consistency of care offered at UNC Hospitals.”

In May, U.S. News released a separate ranking of the top 30 children’s hospitals. The N.C. Children’s Hospital ranked No. 7 for respiratory disorders on that list. Earlier in 2008, the UNC School of Medicine also received high marks on U.S. News' rankings of America's Best Graduate Schools. In the overall rankings, the School of Medicine ranked 2nd for Primary Care and 19th for Research. Additionally, seven specialties were ranked in the top 25. 

The 2008 America’s Best Hospitals guide ranks 170 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties--with full data available online for another 1,500 that are unranked. The magazine unveiled the rankings today (Friday, July 11) for its 19th annual "America's Best Hospitals" issue, on sale at newsstands Monday, July 14. What follows are brief descriptions of each of UNC’s ranked programs for the newly published "America's Best Hospitals" issue.
 
CANCER (ranked 38):
Cancer care at UNC is coordinated through the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center by Dr. Richard Goldberg, physician-in-chief of the North Carolina Cancer Hospital, and Lineberger associate director. The Center, established in 1975, is headed by Dr. Shelton Earp, director, and is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute(NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. UNC Lineberger holds two Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants, one of 11 in the US for breast cancer and one of five in the US for GI cancers.
 
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT (ranked 42):
The Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, headed by Dr. Harold C. Pillsbury III, has a long history of excellence dating back to the opening of N.C. Memorial Hospital in 1952. In recent years the department has become known as a leader in cochlear implant surgery, which enables many deaf people to regain a functional level of hearing.
 
GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS (ranked 35):
UNC’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology is headed by Dr. Robert Sandler, who is the current president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA Institute). The division provides highly specialized, compassionate care for patients with gastrointestinal, liver and nutritional diseases. The division is a national leader in research initiatives that further our understanding of complex disease processes and lead to innovative therapeutics.
 
GYNECOLOGY (ranked 33):
Gynecology services at UNC Hospitals are housed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, headed by Dr. Daniel Clarke-Pearson. The department is known as a leader in areas such as advanced laparoscopy and gynecologic surgery, treatment of gynecologic cancers and maternal-fetal medicine.
 
KIDNEY DISEASE (ranked 25):
Patients with kidney problems receive excellent care through UNC’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, headed by Dr. Ronald Falk. Care for kidney patients is provided in seven outpatient clinics, plus the UNC Hospitals kidney and kidney transplant wards and community-based dialysis units in Burlington, Carrboro, Sanford, Siler City, Yanceyville and Pittsboro.