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School’s about to get back in session for metro Richmond-area students, but the grades are already in for some hospitals that have earned high marks in a national survey.
VCU Medical Center topped the class, placing second in Virginia and first in the metro area, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2018-19 rankings of hospitals, released today.
VCU earned top-50 ratings in four specialty categories of care nationally. The medical center also was rated as Top Performing in nine other categories. That designation goes to facilities that perform “significantly better than average” but don’t make the top 50 in a particular category.
Four other facilities placed in the Top 20 in Virginia: Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in a four-way tie for ninth; Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center and HCA Henrico Doctors Hospital, part of a six-way tie for 14th; and Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, which was 20th.
For metro Richmond, St. Mary’s was second, Henrico Doctors and St. Francis were tied for third, and Memorial Regional was fifth.
“We put our patients first in everything that we do, and this recognition validates our commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care,” says Henrico Doctors CEO Will Wagnon.
Nationally, VCU Medical Center was 20th in urology, finished 25th in diabetes care and endocrinology, and placed 30th in orthopedics and 32nd in nephrology. Last year, VCU was 42nd in orthopedics and 50th in nephrology. The medical center was third overall in Virginia in last year’s rankings.
Marsha Rappley, the CEO of VCU Health System and a vice president for health sciences, praised the team of care providers at the facility for their work. “Every public recognition is a testament of their devotion to outstanding clinical care, research and teaching,” she says in an email.
METRO RICHMOND
1. VCU Medical Center
2. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital
3. HCA Henrico Doctors Hospital
3. Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center
5. Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center
STATEWIDE RANKING
2. VCU Medical Center
9. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital (four-way tie)
14. Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center (six-way tie)
14. HCA Henrico Doctors Hospital (six-way tie)
20. Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center
RANKINGS BY SPECIALTIES
1. VCU Medical Center: National rankings: No. 20, urology; No. 25, diabetes and endocrinology; No. 30, orthopedics; and No. 32, nephrology. High-performing in lung cancer surgery, COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, pulmonology, neurology and neurosurgery, geriatrics, and cardiology and heart surgery.
2. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital: High-performing in knee replacement surgery, hip replacement surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure and colon cancer surgery
3. HCA Henrico Doctors Hospital: High-performing in heart bypass surgery, colon cancer surgery and knee replacement surgery
3. Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center: High-performing in heart failure, hip replacement surgery and knee replacement surgery
5. Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center: High-performing in heart failure, hip replacement surgery and knee replacement surgery; below average in aortic valve surgery
CAPSULES
Health and medicine news in brief
- Mosquitoes with West Nile Virus have been reported in Henrico County, and that means metro Richmond residents need to take precautions. The Virginia Department of Health noted earlier in August that Henrico’s mosquito surveillance program had found mosquitoes infected with the virus throughout the county. The state cautions that it’s likely the West Nile-infected mosquitoes are present throughout the area. The pests are plentiful this year following the copious quantities of regular rainfall across the region. Dr. Melissa Viray, deputy director of the Richmond Health District, recommends taking common-sense precautions, including avoiding outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active (dusk, dawn and overnight), using insect repellents containing DEET, emptying any standing water in your yard and covering up with light, loose and long clothing. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 106 people were infected with West Nile in the United States through Aug. 7. Of those, 62 were described as having infected nervous system cases, such as meningitis or encephalitis. One Virginian was reported with a neuroinvasive infection.
