National Jewish Named Top Respiratory Hospital in the U.S. for Fourth Consecutive Year
DENVER - For the fourth straight year, U.S. News & World Report has named National Jewish Medical and Research Center the top respiratory hospital in the United States. The ranking is part of the 2001 "America's Best Hospitals" guide published by the weekly newsmagazine.
"We are pleased that U.S. News and the board-certified pulmonologists it consults have once again recognized the outstanding care our staff provides to patients from around the world," said Lynn M. Taussig, MD, National Jewish president and CEO. "Our clinical and research programs are working hand-in-hand to further extend our knowledge and improve our treatment of people with respiratory disorders."
Respiratory disorders treated at National Jewish include asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease, and occupational and environmental disorders such as chronic beryllium disease.
As U.S. News points out, the rapid rise in childhood asthma has been a major concern of physicians at National Jewish and across the nation. Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children, affecting more than five million under the age of 18 in the United States and accounting for more than 10 million missed days of school each day.
Physicians and researchers at National Jewish have pioneered new approaches to understanding, diagnosing, and treating asthma from infancy through adulthood. Numerous studies directed by National Jewish physicians have helped to improve the standard of care, which includes new treatments, closer monitoring, and earlier interventions for children with asthma. Although there is no known cure for asthma, current studies at National Jewish are also examining several potential strategies for prevention of the disease among children.
"As we learn more about the natural history of asthma, we are finding new targets for both prevention and treatment of the disease," said Dr. Erwin Gelfand, Chairman of Pediatrics at National Jewish. "Since 70% to 80% of adult asthmatics first develop asthma in childhood, we believe our research on childhood asthma will have important ramifications for the entire asthma population."
National Jewish is the only medical and research center in the United States devoted entirely to respiratory, allergic, and immune system diseases. In addition to respiratory disorders, National Jewish physicians also treat severe allergies, AIDS, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus and other autoimmune diseases. It is dedicated to enhancing prevention, treatment and cures through research, and to developing and providing innovative clinical programs for treating patients regardless of age, religion, race or ability to pay.
U.S. News & World Report uses a combination of recommendations by board-certified pulmonologists, mortality rates, and other information included in surveys by the American Hospital Association of its member institutions. "America's Best Hospitals" will appear on newsstands July 18 and is now available online at http://www.usnews.com.
