Question: How can I find out what each hospital specializes in?
From: Ramishia M. of Elk Grove, CA
Answer: I would probably change that question to: How to find a hospital that specializes in a certain condition? There are hospitals that specialize in cancer care, orthopedic care, children’s, cardiac, physical rehabilitation, behavioral health disorders, etc. Some facilities have more than one “center of excellence.” For a list of top specialty hospitals, see the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list published every July or visit health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-hospitals. But don’t stop there. Check the accreditation and quality of the facility. Go to Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to check whether the hospital is accredited by this JCAHO, the premier accrediting body for virtually all types of healthcare organizations. Then go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to determine how well a hospital meets Medicare criteria for a diagnosis. Other sites are HealthGrades , Vimo , and The Commonwealth Fund .
Ruthann Russo, PhD, JD, MPH, RHIT, is a healthcare expert with more than 20 years of experience working in and advising healthcare organizations.
