"It’s a wonderful way to be recognized for excellence," said Richard Pierson, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Programs at UAMS. Two UAMS clinical programs were cited: the cancer program and the geriatrics program. Both of these are designated as Centers of Excellence at UAMS and include clinical care, research, education, and community service programs within their scope.

UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., explained, "The editors ranked 205 top medical centers, narrowed from 6,045, into 17 specialties. So we’re in great company. This is the seventh straight year we have been included in this prestigious listing. These two programs have built solid reputations for patient care, and both have recruited outstanding physicians and researchers, attracted significant federal grants for research, and received major charitable gifts from Arkansans and others."

According to U.S. News and World Report, "Ranked hospitals tend to adhere more closely to advanced treatment guidelines, to incorporate new findings into patient care, and to conduct research that gives desperately ill patients more options."

The hospitals in the listing received scores that equally weighed reputation, mortality, and a group of care-related factors such as nursing. Each specialty’s 50 highest scoring hospitals are listed in this edition of the magazine.

As to reputation, 180 board-certified physicians were selected at random and asked to list up to five hospitals they considered tops in their specialty regardless of cost or location.

Regarding mortality, this ratio compared the number of deaths of Medicare patients with specified conditions in 1998, 1999, and 2000 with the number expected. A ratio below 1.00 is better than expected; above 1.00 is worse. At UAMS Medical Center, the ratio for cancer was 0.61 and for geriatrics, 0.87; both better than expected.

Concerning the category of "other factors," most of the data for the magazine’s rankings came from the 2000 annual survey of hospitals by the American Hospital Association, of which UAMS Medical Center is a long-time member.

Executive Vice Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics Dr. Jeanne Y. Wei said, "This ranking is a terrific vote of confidence in our relatively young program. The department was established in 1997 and has gained a positive reputation very quickly. We believe the department is a model for the nation. Arkansas is unique in using a portion of its Tobacco Settlement to establish Centers on Aging throughout the state. UAMS sets aside two million dollars each year for the development of additional satellite centers. Two of these are already in service and several more are in various stages of development."

Dr. James Y. Suen, Director of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) said, "The ACRC has gained a national and international reputation in several areas, especially multiple myeloma, head and neck surgery, and brain and skull-base tumors. We are still a young cancer center, and it is rewarding to see that we are considered among the best in the nation."

UAMS Medical Center is a teaching hospital and includes University Hospital and many clinics under the umbrella of its clinical programs. UAMS Medical Center is the clinical arm of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

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