Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City—Hospital noted for lowest mortality rates among all U.S. children's hospitals.

Primary Children's Medical Center has been ranked among the top children's hospitals in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report, which ranks hospitals nationwide based on reputation, death rate and other care-related factors.

Primary Children's received the highest score of all children's hospitals in the category of death rate, meaning its mortality rates for key procedures were lower than any other children's hospital in the United States. The hospital's overall ranking was 18th among the 30 hospitals listed in the article, "America's Best Children's Hospitals," posted this week in the magazine's website. U.S. News and World Reports has ranked hospitals for several years; however, this is the first time it has ranked children's hospitals.

"This recognition in U.S. News & World Report confirms something that we've known for years  that we have one of the best children's hospitals in the country," says Primary Children's Chief Executive Officer Joe Mott. "But we are most proud of our top ranking in lowest mortality rates."

U.S. News & World Report ranked each hospital's mortality rank on a 0 to 6 point scale, based on the mortality rates and the total number of key procedures. A 6 was the best score possible, with 0 the worst. Primary Children's was the only children's hospital receiving the full 6 points. The procedures considered were highly complicated heart and neurosurgery procedures and bone marrow transplants. Hospitals had to meet a minimum volume requirement for each procedure and achieve an acceptable death rate to receive points. Death rate counted as one sixth of each hospital's score.

"This national survey confirms the extraordinarily low mortality rate and high quality of care delivered at Primary Children's," says Dr. Edward Clark, medical director. "But surveys are only one small part of assessing care. We are focused on the child first and always' and driven to provide the best medical care available for children and their families."

The hospitals' scores for reputation were based on a survey of 100 board-certified pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists and neonatologists. Reputation counted as two thirds of each hospital's overall score.

The care-related factors included factors such as volume, nursing care, and advanced technology. Care-related factors counted as one sixth of the score.

A medical facility was considered eligible for this year's rankings if classified by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions as a free-standing children's hospital or as a children's hospital within a hospital – a large multidisciplinary pediatric service within a medical center. In March, 122 hospitals met this standard, and 113 responded to the survey.