U.S. News & World Report

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, for the second consecutive year. The publication's prestigious annual ranking of hospitals placed HUP eighth out of more than 4,800 facilities surveyed. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was the only hospital in the Philadelphia region, and one of only 21 hospitals nationwide, to receive the "Honor Roll" recognition for excellence in multiple specialties. In addition, Pennsylvania Hospital was ranked among the nation's best in Neurology & Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics. Learn more about Penn Medicine's U.S. News rankings >>

The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine was also among the top three research-oriented medical schools in the nation, according to an annual survey of graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report in the April 28, 2009 newsstand book, America's Best Graduate Schools. In this annual survey of graduate schools, Penn ranked #3 in the prestigious survey and earned top 10 rankings in four specialty programs: Internal Medicine (#4), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#6), Women's Health (#6) and Pediatrics (#2). Penn is the only medical school in the Delaware Valley to appear in the ranking. Learn more >>

U.S. News also consistently ranks the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing among the nation's best.

ANCC Magnet Recognition

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has achieved Magnet status – the highest institutional honor awarded for nursing excellence – from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

To achieve Magnet status, a hospital must undergo a rigorous review process demonstrating they are committed to sustaining nursing excellence, improving professional practice, and transforming the culture of a work environment.

Click here to read the complete news release >>

Top Doctors, 2009

Each year, Philadelphia Magazine compiles its "Top Doctors" list of the region's best physicians. The physicians at Penn Medicine always figure prominently on this list, and 2009 was no exception.

Congratulations to the 123 Penn physicians listed below who were included in Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors 2009.

Also, check out 15 Penn Medicine doctors who were highlighted in Philadephia Magazine's Next Generation of Great Philadelphia Doctors.

For more information, visit the Philadelphia Magazine web site.

Click here to view the list of Penn's Top Doctors >>

National Institutes of Health Grant Funding

According to figures released by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine ranks 2nd in the nation in terms of total research awards to academic medical schools in the United States. For Fiscal Year 2005, Penn received 924 total awards – including research and training grants – worth more than $399 million. This total represents a 1.4% increase from the previous year.

LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Center

In January 2007, The Abramson Cancer Center's Living Well After Cancer™ program was awarded the LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Center of Excellence designation by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Penn's Living Well After Cancer™ program is the only LIVESTRONG™ Cancer Survivorship Center of Excellence in the region. This status reflects our excellence in clinical care, research and education for adults and childhood cancer survivors.

"Most Wired" Hospitals – Hospitals & Health Networks

In 2008, Penn Medicine was named one of the nation's 100 "Most Wired" hospitals and health care systems by Hospitals & Health Networks, the Journal of the American Hospital Association.

This prestigious award is based on an annual survey which polls the nation's health care systems on their use of Internet technologies to connect with patients, physicians and nurses, payors, health plans and employees. Penn Medicine has been recognized by this award every year for the last eight years.

Hospital of Choice Awards – American Alliance of Healthcare Providers

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is one of America's 100 Choice Hospitals in 2007 as recognized by The American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. This “Hospital of Choice” Award recognizes hospitals that go beyond their walls in pursuit of excellence and quality care, reaching out to the community's physicians and healthcare organizations in an effort to make their services accessible to all.

New Biomedical Institutes

With the goal of integrating research clinical and educational missions in an avenue that will benefit and enhance public health, The University of Pennsylvania has announced the establish ment of three new biomedical institutes – Penn Cardiovascular Institute; the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; and the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.

Each institute will emphasize cooperation, partnership and cross-collaboration among scientists and physicians throughout Penn's departments and schools.

Top Cardiovascular Hospitals – Thomson Reuters

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, part of Penn Medicine, is the only hospital in Philadelphia to be selected as one of the nation's "100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals" by Thomson. Every year, the Thomson award for cardiovascular services objectively measures performance on key criteria at the nation's top-performing acute-care hospitals. Penn Presbyterian has been recognized with this honor for five years in a row.

The annual study — 2008 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success — objectively measures performance on key criteria and provides benchmarks for performance improvement for use by all hospitals that provide cardiac care. The study found that these top 100 hospitals consistently outperform their peers, especially in complication and mortality rates.

Named One of the Best Executive Health Programs

"The Worth Elite List" honored the Penn Center for Executive Health as one of the Best Executive Health Programs in the nation.

The Penn Center for Executive Health is one of only a select few Executive Health programs in the nation offering a comprehensive medical evaluation, diagnostic testing, detailed results and a personalized care plan in one day. Half and full-day health assessment programs are available to individuals and corporations.

» Read the Worth magazine article

"25 Most Influential" – RT Image Magazine

For its recent installation of three new, state-of-the-art, high-powered MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) systems – a “Radiology First” for any hospital in the United States – RT Image has chosen the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as one of its “25 Most Influential” movers and shakers in the radiology industry in 2006.

Every year, RT Image presents its roster of radiology's most powerful people, institutions, and organizations, based on who has influenced the radiology profession in a positive way in the last year. The publication also noted HUP as an innovator in PET/CT technology for employing the world's first “time-of-flight” technology, pioneered in part at Penn, in a uniquely outfitted new system that captures a precise, simultaneous structural and functional “look inside the body.” Read the complete news release.

Comprehensive Cancer Centers – National Cancer Institute

The Abramson Cancer Center is one of a select group of cancer centers in the country awarded the prestigious designation of Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. This status, which has been awarded to the Abramson Cancer Center continuously for the past 30 years, reflects our outstanding research, clinical services, education and information services and community outreach.

Blue Distinction Center^(SM) for Complex & Rare Cancers – Independence Blue Cross

Independence Blue Cross has recognized the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania as a Blue Distinction Center^(SM) for Complex and Rare Cancers.

Blue Distinction is a designation that helps consumers find medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in select procedures. Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers offer comprehensive inpatient cancer care programs for adults, delivered by multidisciplinary teams with subspecialty training and distinguished clinical expertise in treating complex and rare subtypes of cancer. The selection criteria used in designating Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers were developed in collaboration with expert physicians and medical organizations, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN).

Blue Distinction Centers^(SM) for Cardiac Care – Independence Blue Cross

For specialty centers offering best practices and standards of care in bariatric surgery, cardiac care and transplant surgery, in October 2006 Independence Blue Cross recognized the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center as Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care.

The process used to select Blue Distinction Centers is based on clinical data supplied by hospitals. Each facility's structure, processes and care outcomes are rigorously evaluated. The criteria for designation include nationally endorsed quality measures developed in collaboration with medical experts and professional organizations. Read the complete news release.

Breast Cancer Center of Excellence

In July of 2005, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine was named a Breast Cancer Center of Excellence by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. This designation – which includes a $10 million grant – establishes Penn as one of only 14 such sites in the United States.

Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence

The Bariatric Surgery Programs at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospital have been designated by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery as Centers of Excellence. With this distinction, the Surgical Review Corporation recognizes four Penn surgeons, Dr. Noel Williams, Dr. Steven Raper, Dr. Matt Kirkland and Dr. Alan Schuricht as well as the centers' outstanding facilities and patient care.

This prestigious designation recognizes a bariatric surgery program's dedication to helping patients achieve their lifestyle and weight loss goals. Penn's Bariatric Surgery Programs are proud to be a national leader in this area.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Wins the 2006 Gift of Life Award

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has won the 2006 Gift of Life Award from the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council (DVHC). According to the DVHC, the Award was established this year “to recognize a hospital for excellence in family care and outstanding rates of performance in organ donation. HUP's dedication to the cause was most impressive and the selection committee felt strongly that they deserved to win the 2006 Gift of Life Award.”

HUP was responsible for 38 organ donations from July 2005 to June 2006, the highest number of organ donations in the history of the Gift of Life program. With a conversion rate of 81 percent, HUP's performance was unprecedented in terms of the ability to convert such a large number of potential donors into actual donors.

Additional accolades for the University of Pennsylvania Health System:

• Among top 100 integrated health care systems (Modern Healthcare magazine, 2000)
• One of top three health care award recipients for national Quality Cup competition (USA Today and the Rochester Institute of Technology, 2000)
• HUP recognized by "Consumer Choice Awards" for providing quality service and patient care (National Research Corporation, 2000)