Allegheny General Hospital Ranked Among the Nation's Best by U.S. News

Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh has been recognized as one of the nation’s top hospitals in a number of specialty areas by U.S. News Media & World Report. U.S. News’ 2011-12 Best Hospitals guide ranks AGH among the top 50 centers in the nation for quality care in the fields of cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and orthopaedics.

In addition, Allegheny General, West Penn Allegheny Health System’s Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Bloomfield also were recognized by U.S. News in regional rankings for high achievement in several of the 16 specialty areas analyzed by the magazine.

“It is gratifying to be acknowledged by U.S. News for the level of care that we afford our patients," Dianne Dismukes, president and chief executive officer of West Penn Allegheny Health System, said in a statement. "Such distinction is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our physicians, nursing staff and other clinical support personnel, the exceptional efforts of whom have allowed these hospitals to remain among the nation’s elite health care providers and referral centers.” 

The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 hospitals nationwide. The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most specialties—death rates, patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in.

The core mission of Best Hospitals is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition, or added risk because of other health problems or age.

“These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients,” Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor, said in a statement. “Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high.”

AGH received the following national rankings in the areas of specialty care for which it was recognized:  43rd for gastroenterology, 44th for cardiology and heart surgery and 50th for orthopaedics.  

The regional hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions.

“These are hospitals we call ‘high performers.’ They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures,” Comarow said.

AGH was noted as high-performing in cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat care, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and urology.

Forbes Regional Hospital is ranked as high-performing in diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and urology.

Allegheny Valley Hospital is recognized for high performance in gastroenterology, geriatrics, pulmonology and urology.

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is designated as high-performing in diabetes and endocrinology, geriatrics, gynecology and neurology and neurosurgery.

The rankings, annually published by U.S. News for the past 22 years, can be viewed online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and also will be featured in the U.S. News Best Hospitals guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.