Best Hospitals 2007
The Best Hospitals
An exclusive survey of more than 1,000 leading doctors yields 43 sources of top medical care
RESOURCES
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Free information with stamped, self-addressed envelope, P.O. Box 618, Park Ridge, IL 60068. Arthritis Foundation, (800) 283-7800. Provides information on treatment and exercise and refers callers to local chapters. National Osteoporosis Foundation, (800) 223-9994. Free 22-page booklet on osteoporosis.
OTOLARYNGOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS IOWA CITY / 30 pct.
MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY BOSTON / 26 pct.
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL BALTIMORE / 21 pct.
UCLA MEDICAL CENTER LOS ANGELES / 20 pct.
MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER, MINN. / 18 pct.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER) HOUSTON / 18 pct.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL CENTER ANN ARBOR / 17 pct.
Much of the work of the specialists in the "ear, nose and throat" department still deals with such common conditions as tonsillitis and sinus and ear infections. But otolaryngologists are also specialists in deafness and in cancers of the throat and larynx, and many are expert in facial plastic surgery as well.
EXPERT'S VIEW
BRIAN McCABE, chief of otolaryngology, University of Iowa: Anyone seeking care for, say, throat or sinus cancer should be sure the department not only has diagnosticians, surgeons, oncologists and high-tech radiation therapists but also speech pathologists and specialists in the construction of prostheses--artificial facial replacements. When we can't reconstruct a part of a face, we can make a prosthesis that would not be discernible as artificial from across a room. Patients should also find specialists to help restore speech. Many patients are grandparents. If they look bad or different, it can turn a grandchild off, which can be very wounding to a grandparent. So it is important to pick a center willing to involve the whole family. By dealing with appearance and function as well as the cancer and by having family members meet the doctors and nurses, we can foster acceptance.
RESOURCES American Academy of Otolaryngology, (703) 836-4444. Informational booklets on ear, nose and throat diseases. Self-help. Let's Face It, (508) 371-3186, support for people with facial disfigurement, membership $10 a year; Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People, (301) 657-2248, information and referral; membership $20 a year.
PEDIATRICS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BOSTON / 48 pct.
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA / 38 pct.
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL BALTIMORE / 29 pct.
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES / 14 pct.
RAINBOW BABIES AND CHILDRENS HOSPITAL (UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF CLEVELAND) / 12 pct.
For serious problems, children's hospitals tend to be superior to pediatric units in general hospitals. Their doctors and nurses are skilled in the most advanced microtechniques, and their labs can deal with small specimens. Doctor, parent and child form more of a partnership, with all of them discussing the child's case together.
EXPERT'S VIEW
DAVID CORNFELD, deputy physician-in-chief, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: If a child is healthy and needs only routine hospital care, the convenience of a hospital has to be a major issue; you want access and availability. For sick children, however, especially those with chronic illnesses, parents should find a hospital that fully services the child's specific problem. In such cases, a children's hospital offers several advantages over a general hospital with a pediatrics unit. Since a child's chronic illness may have different causes and facets, children's hospitals are usually deep in personnel in different specialties. A children's hospital is more likely to have physicians who are certified as pediatric specialists rather than specialists who deal mostly with adults and treat children as a sideline. And children's hospitals are where parents are likelier to find support groups that address their difficulties.
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