UMCH Named a Best Children’s Hospital for Cardiology & Heart Surgery, 2021-2022, by U.S. News & World Report

June 15, 2021

The University of Maryland Children’s Hospital (UMCH) was recognized today as a Best Children’s Hospital for Cardiology & Heart Surgery, 2021-2022, by U.S. News & World Report. This is the fourth consecutive year the hospital’s acclaimed Children’s Heart Program earned the distinction, which recognizes the top 50 pediatric programs out of more than 200 pediatric centers in the nation.

Additionally, UMCH was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #2 children’s hospital in Maryland, and the #13 children’s hospital in the Mid-Atlantic region which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The annual Best Hospitals rankings is designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive treatment for challenging health conditions or for common elective procedures. The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals are based largely on clinical data from hundreds of medical centers, and surveys of over 15,000 pediatric specialists about where they would send their sickest patients.

UMCH is known for its ability to successfully take on the toughest cases. Infants and children with heart conditions, for example, are routinely referred by other hospitals to the Children’s Heart Program, where surgeons and cardiologists are skilled at repairing rare and complicated heart anomalies.

“We deeply appreciate the recognition of our Children’s Heart Program in the Best Children’s Hospital rankings by U.S. News & World Report. It is a testament to the most dedicated staff I have ever worked with, the commitment of our patients’ families, and the sheer spirit and will of our young patients,” said Geoffrey L. Rosenthal, MD, PhD, Director of the Children's Heart Program at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital and professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

UMCH provides a range of pediatric programs, including heart care, gastroenterology, primary care, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, orthopedics, neurology, transplants, LGBTQ+ care and much more. The hospital is equipped for comprehensive care, from diagnostics to surgery, and includes a neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit.

The hospital has also begun a major renovation to upgrade the pediatric surgical suite, which includes the pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory and a new pediatric operating room. This is being accomplished by a lead gift from donors Chris and Jill Davis, which will ensure continued technologically advanced care for the children of Maryland.

“UMCH is an integral component of the University of Maryland Medical Center, and a successful product of the support and partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As part of an academic medical center, we—and most importantly, our patients—continually benefit from this collaboration and the cutting-edge research performed by our clinical scientists,” said Steven J. Czinn, MD, Director of the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, and the Drs. Rouben and Violet Jiji Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Czinn added, “Every day is a joy to see our young patients overcome daunting challenges. It is what drives us to provide a state-of-the-art children’s hospital staffed by the most talented clinicians in the country.”

The Best Children’s Hospital rankings add to a year of accomplishments for UMCH. The hospital made a significant investment in telehealth, which expanded its pediatric services throughout Maryland even during a pandemic. Construction was also completed on a new Children & Adolescent psychiatric unit, the first in the state designed to provide trauma-informed care and recovery.

Bert W. O’Malley, MD, President and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center, where UMCH is located, concluded with a congratulations to staff at the children’s hospital: “On behalf of the entire medical center, thank you for bringing hope and healing to our most vulnerable patients and their families. It does not get more meaningful than that.”