UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital earns national recognition for broad excellence in pediatric care

UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital ranked among California's top five and earned national recognition in 10 subspecialties in an evaluation of pediatric care published Oct. 7.

This marks the 19th consecutive year UCLA Health has demonstrated comprehensive excellence in the annual Best Children's Hospitals assessment by U.S News & World Report.

The nationally ranked subspecialties are: behavioral health; cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery; neonatology; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; and urology.

"This recognition reflects the commitment and collaborative spirit of UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital physicians, nurses, therapists, Child Life Specialists and our other health care professionals," said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. "Members of our care teams are dedicated to delivering world-class, compassionate care to children and impactful support to their families."

The Best Children's Hospitals methodology includes, among other factors, patient outcomes, the scope and quality of resources directly supporting clinical services and expert insights from thousands of pediatric specialists.

"Our mission is to provide children with a full continuum of care, from prevention and early intervention to the latest innovative treatments, in a team-based environment that prioritizes empathy, family involvement and clinical excellence," said Dr. Sherin Devaskar, recent physician-in-chief of UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and executive chair and clinical director of the department of pediatrics. She served in those roles during the Best Children's Hospitals assessment period.

The hospital is located within Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on the university's main campus in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Pediatric care is also provided at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, along with a network of general and sub specialty services available at multiple UCLA Health locations across Southern California.

UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital's pediatric subspecialty areas have been nationally ranked consistently since U.S. News launched the evaluation in 2007.

"Being a top-ranked pediatric hospital means more than just excelling in a single specialty - it means being a pillar of outstanding care for your entire region," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.