Honors and Recognition

University of Iowa Health Care is Iowa’s only comprehensive academic medical center, home to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, UI Children's Hospital, and the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. Together, these organizations are consistently recognized as leaders in medicine, from the care we give, the research we do, to the students we teach. Many of our distinctions are firsts and onlys in the profession.

Several national publications and organizations recognize us in a variety of categories. The following rankings, certifications, and awards are just a few of the honors received.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

• U.S. News & World Report: The national news magazine's "America's Best Hospitals" rankings for 2009 include three clinical specialties in the Top 10:
     -- Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery 3rd
     -- Ophthalmology and visual sciences 6th
     -- Orthopaedics and rehabilitation 8th
  Four other clinical services ranked in the Top 50:
     -- Neurology/neurosurgery 22nd
     -- Cancer 27th
     -- Kidney disease 34th
     -- Gynecology 36th
  
• Best Doctors in America: Based on peer-to-peer surveys, this independent medical resource includes more than 290 of our UI physicians its national database (2009)


• The Joint Commission: The independent, not-for-profit organization's "Gold Seal of Approval™" indicates UI Hospitals and Clinics is in full compliance with all applicable Joint Commission standards (2007); in addition, the hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ as a Primary Stroke Center (2009)


• Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield: This health coverage network designated UI Hospitals and Clinics as a Blue Distinction Center™ in five areas: cardiac care (2009), bariatric (weight loss) surgery (2008), complex and rare cancers (2008), adult bone marrow transplant (2007), and assisted reproduction quality program (2009)


• Optum Health Care Solutions: This health and wellness company designated our infertility services (2009), obesity surgery (2008), and adult bone marrow transplant (2008) programs as "Centers of Excellence"; the company also designated the adult heart transplant (2008), adult kidney transplant (2008), and adult liver transplant (2008) services as Transplant Access Programs


• National Cancer Institute: This arm of the National Institutes of Health recognizes the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI as the only cancer center in Iowa designated as "comprehensive" (since 2005)


• Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services: Seven of our transplant programs meet the federal agency's Conditions for Participation: adult kidney, pediatric kidney, adult liver, adult heart, pediatric heart, adult pancreas, and adult lung (2009)


• American College of Surgeons: The nationwide association's Commission on Cancer granted "approval" to the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI under a program designed to ensure quality cancer care for patients (2005)


• AABB: This international blood bank association, formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, granted two-year accreditation to the hospital's DeGowin Blood Center (2007)


• Aetna: The health care benefit company designates our bariatric surgery program as an "Institute of Excellence" based on an evaluation of clinical performance (2009)


• American College of Radiology: This nationwide association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists, and nuclear medicine physicians accredited the hospital as a "Breast Imaging Center of Excellence" (2008)


• American College of Surgeons: The nationwide association of surgeons certified UI Hospitals and Clinics as a Level I Trauma Center, the highest designation possible for trauma care (2009). This is the only Level 1 designation given for both adult and pediatric patient care in the entire state.


• American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association: Based on a rigorous review, these two national organizations jointly identified us as a verified burn care center for high-quality care—making us the only verified burn center in Iowa (2006)


• American Heart Association: The hospital received the "Guidelines—Coronary Artery Disease Gold Performance Achievement Award," recognizing a higher standard of cardiac care that improves the treatment of patients hospitalized with coronary disease and reduces their risk of recurrent heart attacks or death (2009)


• American Nurses Credentialing Center: The national credentialing organization awarded UI Hospitals and Clinics the state's first Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence (2004), and granted Magnet re-designation for four years (2008)


• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: The world's largest specialty society of its type has designated our bariatric (weight loss) program as a Center of Excellence® (2007)


• Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy: The non-profit corporation founded by the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation has granted three-year accreditation to the DeGowin Blood Center's tissues and cellular therapies service (2007)


• National Marrow Donor Program: The national non-profit organization has annually accredited the DeGowin Blood Center since 2000; the Adult and Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Programs since 1987; the Iowa Marrow Donor Program since 1990, and UI Hospitals and Clinics as a collection center since 1990. In addition, the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match Registry ranked the Iowa Marrow Donor Program as the top donor center among 70 members (fiscal year 2008-09)


• Nursing Professionals: The bi-annual national magazine for nurses identified us as the only hospital in Iowa on its "Top 100 Hospitals to Work For" list (2009)


• Urology Times: This news source for urologists named the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI as one of 15 "Clinical Cancer Centers of Excellence" for prostate care (April 2009)
  

University of Iowa Children's Hospital

• U.S.News & World Report: The national news magazine's special edition of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" ranks our pediatric kidney disorders treatment program 25th, making it the first and only hospital in Iowa ranked for children's care (2009)


• OptumHealth Care Solutions: This health and wellness company designated our neonatal intensive care (2009) and pediatric bone marrow transplant (2008) services as "Centers of Excellence"; the pediatric heart transplant program received Transplant Access Program designation (2008)


• American College of Surgeons: This nationwide association of surgeons recognizes the hospital as Iowa's only Level 1 Trauma Center for Pediatrics, the highest designation possible (2009)


• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: The non-profit, donor-supported organization selected UI Children's Hospital as a Quality Care Award recipient (2009)


• Parents: Based on a survey, the national parenting magazine named UI Children's Hospital one of the top 25 children's hospitals in the United States; its pediatric emergency care is ranked 5th in the nation (2009)
  

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

• U.S.News & World Report: The national news magazine (2009) ranks the College's:
     -- Physician assistant program 1st among all universities
     -- Physical therapy program 5th among all universities
     -- Primary care medicine program 10th among all universities
     -- Rural medicine education program 10th among all universities
     -- Research training 14th among public medical schools