UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals Named Among Nation's Best for Pediatric Care

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with locations in Oakland and San Francisco, has long been one of the nation’s premier pediatric centers, garnering acclaim and numerous awards for its groundbreaking research, innovative care, world-renowned medical staff, and unparalleled commitment to improving children’s health. Now, the Bay Area institution can add another accolade to its résumé: U.S. News & World Report ranked UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals among the country’s top-tier pediatric medical centers for 2018–19.

In the “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings, both hospital campuses placed among the nation’s finest in all 10 pediatric specialties that were surveyed, including pediatric cancer, neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology and heart surgery, orthopedics, and urology. Additionally, the hospitals ranked among the top 10 children’s hospitals in two specialties and among the top 25 in eight.

Aside from this impressive designation by U.S. News & World Report, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland also received a “2018 Top Hospitals” award by The Leapfrog Group—an esteemed national health care nonprofit—toward the end of the year, placing it among an elite group of hospitals that have achieved the highest levels of quality and safety. The Oakland medical institution was one of only two children’s hospitals in the state to receive the honor as well as the only children’s hospital in Northern California to do so.

Indeed, these recent accolades demonstrate the increasing recognition of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals as a leading medical establishment around the world. For nearly 100 years, the institution has been a top choice for parents across California whose children have serious or rare illnesses—and it’s easy to see why.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals boast sub-specialty, fellowship-trained physicians covering more than 30 pediatric specialties. The Oakland locale is also home to an American College of Surgeons–verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center—one of only five in California—and treats more children than any other pediatric hospital in the Bay Area.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland even has its own research center where scientists work on roughly 150 clinical trials at any given time, providing up-to-the-minute insights, trends, and data to improve medical treatments and create new ones. For instance, thanks to the on-site research center, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland developed what are now the worldwide-protocols for treating sickle cell anemia and cerebral palsy. More recently, the Oakland campus performed the first-ever gene editing inside a human body. In the landmark clinical trial, researchers infused a patient’s blood with gene-editing tools, aiming to treat a severe inherited disease known as Hunter syndrome.

Additionally, in April 2018, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland unveiled a brand-new six-story outpatient center, adding 89,000 square feet of exam rooms, 25-plus pediatric-focused clinics, treatment facilities, and other services—making it the East Bay's largest specialty care center for kids. The building also touts a 17,000-square-foot rehabilitation center complete with a spacious physical therapy gym, an outdoor agility course, and another lab facility space.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals wasn’t the only standout medical institution in California recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Four other hospitals in the Golden State made the esteemed publication’s top 10 list of “Best Hospitals” in the country for 2018–19.