Duke, UNC Children's rank among top pediatric hospitals in NC, the Southeast

Duke Children's Hospital and UNC Children's Hospital were both recognized on Tuesday among the top pediatric providers in the Southeast and the state.

Both hospitals were recognized for their pediatric specialties. UNC ranked No. 12 in the nation for pulmonology and lung surgery, No. 14 for diabetes and endocrinology and No. 20 for gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery.

Duke's pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program ranked No. 7 in the nation, and diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatal care, nephrology, orthopedics, pulmonology, lung surgery and urology were in the top 50.

Duke and UNC ranked No. 4 and No. 5 for top pediatric hospitals in the Southeast region, respectively.

Duke's recognition comes after the hospital performed the world's first combination heart transplant and thymus procedure and the nation's first pediatric heart transplant using a new method of heart donation.

The U.S. News and World Report publishes the list annually using data from 200 medical centers in which 15,000 pediatric providers answer where they would send the sickest children in their specialty.

WakeMed's Raleigh, Cary and North hospitals received an "A" along with Duke Regional Hospital, Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh and UNC-Rex .