Dean Philip A. Pizzo has commented on U.S. News & World Reports’ annual rankings of “Best Hospitals,” noting that both SHC and Packard Children’s Hospital were separately ranked no. 13 in the nation.

The dean has previously criticized the national news magazine’s rankings of medical schools, contending the methodology favors size over quality, since the rankings are based partially on total - not relative - NIH funding support. Stanford School of Medicine was ranked seventh in the nation in the magazine’s survey earlier this year.

“Hospital rankings are also impacted by size, available services and reputation among other factors,” the dean wrote in his July newsletter. “Of course we think they should both be higher, but given the small size of SHC and the relative youth of LPCH compared to peers, these rankings [13th] are quite admirable. Congratulations to both SHC and LPCH,” the dean said.

—Courtesy Stanford Medical School
Dean Philip Pizzo’s July 2006 Newsletter