U.S. News Ranks Top Five Hospitals in Knoxville Metro Area

By Jeaneane Payne

Three Covenant Health hospitals -- Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, and Parkwest and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Centers in Knoxville -- along with University of Tennessee Medical Center and Blount Memorial Hospital have been ranked among the top five hospitals in the Knoxville metro area in U.S. News Media & World Report's 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings.

The publication's latest regional rankings feature 720 hospitals out of 5,000 hospitals nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or ranked among the best hospitals in its metro area.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge ranked #1 in the Knoxville area and UT Medical Center ranked #2. Parkwest holds the #3 spot, Fort Sanders Regional is ranked #4 and Blount Memorial is #5. They are all recognized for excellence in multiple specialty areas including neurology and neurosurgery, gynecology, pulmonology, diabetes & endocrinology, and orthopedics, as well as other specialties.

Covering 94 metro areas in the U.S., the regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the expertise found only at a nationally ranked Best Hospital or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give patients and families more options of hospitals within their communities and health insurance networks.

"These are hospitals we call 'high performers.' They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures," said Avery Comarow, U.S. News health rankings editor. "Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals."

Rankings were determined by measures such as patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data, along with responses to a national survey where physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialties for the toughest cases. The report covers 16 medical specialties and 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Published March 30, 2012