Bascom Palmer Is No. 1 for 22nd Year, Neurology/Neurosurgery Ranks No. 20, Other Specialties Recognized for High Performance

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked No. 1 in ophthalmology for the 22nd time and the 20th consecutive year in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report“Best Hospitals” rankings. Notably, neurology/neurosurgery program ranked No. 20, rising five spots, and three other specialties at UHealth – University of Miami Health System were also recognized. Cancer, geriatrics, and diabetes and endocrinology were named as high performing relative to other hospitals.

“These excellent national rankings are a tribute to the dedication of our clinical teams, who deliver outstanding care every day to our patients and their families,” said Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief operating officer of UHealth, executive dean for clinical affairs and founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “By drawing on the leading-edge research, innovative clinical trials and deep resources of our academic medical center, our UHealth programs set the standard for excellence in patient care.”

U.S. News also ranked the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial Hospital at No. 45, the first time the program has been recognized. On a regional basis, UHealth Tower ranked No. 3 in South Florida and No. 9 in Florida, and 10 of 21 procedures and conditions were ranked “high performing.”

Five specialties at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Florida, received the high-performing designation:

• Colon cancer surgery
• Lung cancer surgery
• Prostate cancer surgery
• Uterine cancer surgery
• Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma

Five other UHealth specialties were also named high performing: aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, kidney failure and pneumonia.

Recognized for National Excellence

From its founding in 1962 as the Miller School’s Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has delivered exceptional clinical care to South Florida patients, earning top rankings since U.S. News began surveying physicians for its annual rankings in 1990.

“We continue to build on our long tradition of leadership in clinical care, scientific discovery and medical education,” said Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., director of Bascom Palmer and the Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser Chair in Ophthalmology. “Our scientists and clinical researchers are tackling some of the most difficult challenges in ophthalmology while bringing better vision care to patients throughout South Florida and around the world.”

UHealth’s neurology and neurosurgery programs continued to climb in the national rankings, rising five spots from No. 25 last year and fifteen from No. 35 in 2021.

“Our experts provide subspecialized care through integrated and personalized approaches, and contribute to the field by advancing novel treatments and identifying cures for neurological disorders,” said Jose Romano, M.D., professor and interim chair of neurology.

“Our neurosurgeons are national leaders in their field and have developed innovative procedures and research that has garnered the attention of their peers and at the same time improved the care and outcomes of patients with brain, spine and nerve disorders requiring surgery,” added Allan D. Levi, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of neurosurgery and the Robert M. Buck Distinguished Chair in Neurological Surgery at the Miller School and chief of neurosurgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on data from nearly 5,000 medical centers and survey responses from more than 30,000 physicians. The complete 2023-2024 rankings are  available online and in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals” 2023 guidebook.

Tags: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, Department of Neurology, Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Allan D. Levi, Dr. Dipen J. Parekh, Dr. Eduardo C. Alfonso, Dr. Jose Romano, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, UHealth Tower