Parents seeking care for a child with a rare disease or a complex surgery have a new edition of one of the most closely watched hospital rankings. On Tuesday, Sept. 15, U.S. News & World Report named 11 hospitals to its 2026-2027 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll, including newcomers Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Fierce Healthcare reported. Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, which was on last year's list, did not return.
Many families may not know how the scores are built. More than half of each hospital's score comes from structural measures and processes, which include patient safety practices and how clinical resources are allocated. About a third, depending on the specialty, reflects patient outcomes, and 10% or less comes from physician survey opinion.
