As one more indicator of the outstanding quality of its patient care and the extraordinary skills and commitment of its medical staff, Cedars-Sinai has been named among the best American hospitals in the latest rankings announced in the July 23 issue of U.S. News & World Report.

In the 2007 rankings, Cedars-Sinai made the "Best of the Best" Honor Roll, which comprises the top hospitals ranked highly in the most number of categories. Of the more than 5,000 U.S. hospitals, only 173 were ranked in at least one specialty, and of those 173, only 18 made the Honor Roll. Cedars-Sinai tied with University of Chicago for #17 in the Honor Roll.

Cedars-Sinai was ranked in 10 categories -- its best U.S. News & World Report ranking ever -- as follows:

• Digestive Disorders: #8
• Endocrinology: #15
• Geriatrics: #23
• Gynecology: #23
• Heart and heart surgery: #14
• Kidney disease: #23
• Neurology and Neurosurgery: #16
• Orthopaedics: #25
• Respiratory Disorders: #23
• Urology: #39

U.S. News & World Report's methodology to determine the rankings includes: reputational votes (where a random sampling of physicians nationwide are asked to name the hospitals they think are best in their specialty for treating difficult cases), expected-versus-actual mortality data (case-mix adjusted), volume and other factors. Many of these factors use a three-year rolling average, and the newsmagazine also makes changes in its methodology each year.

"These latest U.S. News rankings, when added to the numerous other national accolades and high rankings by organizations such as the University Healthcare Consortium and the Leapfrog Group, are the result of your dedication to providing the highest quality care for our patients, and the teamwork you demonstrate on a daily basis working with your colleagues on the medical staff and the employees throughout the medical center," said Tom Priselac, president and CEO. "Thank you for all that you do as a medical staff to make Cedars-Sinai one of America's great medical centers."