Newswise — UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital has been ranked as the No. 2 pediatric hospital in Illinois and rated among the best in the nation in two specialties — Gastroenterology & GI Surgery and Diabetes & Endocrinology — by U.S. News & World Report.

Of the nearly 200 hospitals surveyed by U.S. News for the 2021-2022 Best Children's Hospitals rankings, Comer Children’s was listed at No. 46 for Diabetes & Endocrinology (up from 47 last year) and 34 for Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (up from 35 last year). It’s the second year in a row that the South Side children’s hospital has moved up in the rankings.

The regional rankings were introduced for the first time this year, mirroring the regional rankings of adult acute-care medical centers, which U.S. News debuted in 2012. The purpose of the addition is to help families seeking hospital-based specialty care for children, as parents often look for a pediatric hospital within their home state or a neighboring state.

“U.S. News' recognition of Comer Children’s as a top-tier pediatric hospital and the commitment and hard work of our physicians, nurses and staff position us to address the healthcare challenges faced by our young patients and their families,” said John Cunningham, MD, pediatrician-in-chief of Comer Children’s and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics.

The publication rates the 50 top-performing pediatric hospitals in 10 specialty areas, gathering data from nearly 200 children’s hospitals and from publicly available sources for patient safety, patient experience, infection prevention and nurse staffing, among other measures. Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare organizations, U.S. News reused hospital-submitted data from the previous year. However, updated surveys of pediatric physicians were included.

A full list of the rankings and information about methodology can be found at usnews.com/childrenshospitals.