Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ranked as number 1 hospital in ophthalmology

(Image Credit: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute)

US News & World Report has released its annual list of the “Best Hospitals” and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has achieved first place in the ophthalmology specialty rankings. This marks 21 years in a row Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has topped the list for US News & World Report in ophthalmology.

“Choosing the right hospital to match your needs shouldn't be a guessing game,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at US News in a press release. “The 2024-2025 edition of Best Hospitals provides patients and their families clear, data-driven insights on hospital performance and empowers Americans to choose the facility best suited to their specific health care needs.”

The annual Best Hospitals report from US News & World Report compares more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions.^1-3 Ophthalmology is one of the many specialties that are included in the ranking. Other specialties include:

• Cancer
• Cardiology, heart & vascular surgery
• Diabetes & endocrinology
• Ear, nose, & throat
• Gastroenterology & GI surgery
• Geriatrics
• Neurology & neurosurgery
• Obstetrics & gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Psychiatry
• Pulmonology & lung surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Rheumatology
• Urology

Ranking of 12 of the 15 specialties is based on an extensive data-driven analysis combining performance measures in 3 primary dimensions of healthcare: structure, process, and outcomes. However, in Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, and Rheumatology, rankings are based solely on expert opinionsurveys of board-certified physicians.

According to US News & World Report, this is due to “available data for the 3 specialties being significantly limited, and life-threatening conditions and procedures are more uncommon in Ophthalmology and Psychiatry, rendering mortality irrelevant as a primary outcome.”^1-3

To qualify for ranking, hospitals must reach a score of at least 5% across the last 3 years. Meaning hospitals must be cited by an average of at least 5% of the ophthalmology specialists who responded to US News physician surveys over the last 3 years. Hospitals with a score of at least 3% and less than 5% are recognized as high-performing, while hospitals with a score of at least 1% are considered eligible.^1-3

The sample for the 2024 survey is compiled from a database of all practicing US physicians compiled by Doximity, which includes every practicing US physician, identified by National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. The survey was sent out from February to March 2024, and asked physicians to supply the names of up to 5 hospitals in their specialty that provide the best care to patients with serious conditions, without considering location or expense.^1-3

In ophthalmology, 17,567 physicians were sent the survey with a response rate of 11.7%. US News does note that it weights survey responses in order to “ensure the weighted averages represent the overall opinion of all specialists nationally, not simply those who responded.”^1-3 A full breakdown of score weighting can be found online.

The top 10 hospitals for ophthalmology 2024-2025, according to the US News & World Report are:

1. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute - University of Miami Hospital & Clinics
2. Wills Eye Hospital - Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Philadelphia, PA
3. Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
4. Mass Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
5. Stein and Doheny Eye Institutes, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
6. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City
7. Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC
8. University of Michigan Health Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor
9. Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic
10. John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Hosps. & Clinics, Salt Lake City

US News full rankings of hospitals by specialty, procedure, or overall are available online.

References:

1. U.S. News Announces the 2024-2025 Best Hospitals. Press Release. Released July 16, 2024. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://health.usnews.com/media/pr/health/best-hospitals/2024-2025-Best-Hospitals-Press-Release

2. Methodology U.S. News & World Report 2024–2025 Best Hospitals: Specialty Rankings. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://health.usnews.com/media/best-hospitals/2024-2025_best_hospitals_specialty_rankings_methodology

3. Best Hospitals by Specialty National Rankings. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings?src=usn_pr