U.S. News & World Report releases children's hospital rankings

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was ranked as the best children's hospital this year by U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine's 2008 edition of America's Best Children's Hospitals, published online and in the June 9 print edition, combined reputation, outcome (where available), and care-related measures as the main criteria to rank the nation's children's hospitals.

Last year, the magazine listed the top 30 general pediatric centers, based on reputation, data, and statistics on hospital performance and quality of care. Along with this list, the 2008 edition also includes the 30 top-ranked hospitals by specialty, including cancer, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery, neonatal care, neurology and neurosurgery, and respiratory disorders.