Mag rates N.C. Children's Hospital highly

The publication recognized N.C. Children’s Hospital as 11th in the nation for caring for children with respiratory disorders.

"This marks the second consecutive year that N.C. Children's Hospital attained the highest ranking of any children's hospital in the state," Dr. Alan Stiles, the Children's Hospital's chief physician and chair of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said in a statement. "Families across North Carolina can rest easy knowing that, if and when they need it, their children have access to world-class care at one of the best children's hospitals in the entire country – not only here in Chapel Hill but at more than 25 satellite clinics throughout the state."

Hospitals are ranked in 10 specialty categories: cancer, diabetes and endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery, kidney disorders, neonatal care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, respiratory disorders and urology.

The hospitals were judged on a combination of opinions from pediatric specialists about the hospitals they would recommend for the sickest children and data gathered in a 65-page survey covering important medical information ranging from surgical death rates to whether pediatric anesthesiologists and other sub specialists are on the staff.

"While they might be a small percentage of all hospital patients, a large number of children every year need high-quality hospital care," Health Rankings editor Avery Comarow said in a statement. "The objective of the Best Children's Hospitals rankings is to help children with uniquely challenging medical needs, and for these special patients, it is essential they seek treatment at pediatric facilities with deep expertise."

UNC Hospitals, of which N.C. Children’s Hospital is a part, has been included in U.S. News & World Report’s America's Best Hospitals issue rankings for the last 16 years in a row.