Becker’s Hospital Review has recently released their 2016 list of the 100 Great Hospitals in America, which features three hospitals in Los Angeles.

Many factors go into the creation of this list, with the editorial team using ranking and awards from many different sources to help compile the list. Among the sources used are U.S. News and World Report, Truven Health Analytics, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, The Leapfrog Group, and Healthgrades. The list is whittled down to 100 of the best hospitals in the nation, which are seen as leaders in their area and expertise.

Among the things considered for inclusion on the list are a strong history of innovation, an excellent level of care provided to patients, progressive research, and importance to communities. The list is not a ranking from top to bottom, but simply a compilation and recognition of hospitals that are doing outstanding work in their communities.

The three Los Angeles area hospitals are:

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center which started as a result of two organizations that were built by the Jewish community. In 1902, it was started with 12 beds in a two-story Victorian home, with the other organization starting in 1918 with two rooms. They joined together in 1961, growing into a hospital with 886 beds and international recognition.

Among its accomplishments is beign the largest non-profit hospital in the western United States, with a staff featuring 2,100 physicians, 2,800 nurses, and a large multitude of other staff as well as healthcare professionals. For 18 years in a row, the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award has recognized Cedars-Sinai for providing the best quality medical care in Los Angeles. Among other awards, U.S. News & World Report credited Cedars-Sinai with being the number 2 hospital in California best hospital in Los Angeles for 2015-16.

The atmosphere of the hospital is also unique, thanks to a donation in the 1970s from Frederick and Marcia Weisman. This helped Cedars-Sinai build an incredible collection of art that includes sculptures, photographs, paintings, and lithographs. More than 4,000 pieces are included in the collection, with works from Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. This means that all of the courtyards and walkways in the hospital turn into places of escape for patients and families alike, enhancing the surroundings to create a warm, friendly environment.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a non-profit teaching hospital that is associated with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. More than 111,000 children are treated each year. King’s Daughters founded the hospital in 1901, making it one of the first female philanthropic organizations in the Los Angeles area.

In addition to the 111,000 children treated, there are annual inpatient admissions of 15,682, almost 350,000 thousand outpatient visits, and more than 77,000 ED visits each year. Five departments are housed in the Children’s Hospital: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics, Radiology, Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, and Surgery. All told, more than 5,500 employees and over 800 clinicians are employed at CHLA.

CHLA also has the distinction of being the only freestanding Level pediatric trauma center in LA that is approved by the County Department of Health Services and accredited by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons, a great honor. With 106 pediatric-care beds, it ranked nationally in every pediatric specialty, finishing in the top ten for six of the ten specialties.

Education is a high priority, with 341 medical students, 90 full-time residents, three chief residents, and over 110 fellows. An astounding 96 percent of graduated from the Residency Programs have passed the American Board of Pediatrics exam on the first try.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center spans four acres in West Los Angeles, providing treatment and care for over 380,000 people each year. More than 1,50 full-time physicians and over 2,500 support staff are employed at the center, which is made up of UCLA Medical Center-Santa Monica, Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, and Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.

It was originally named the UCLA Medical Center when it was founded in 1955, but a new hospital structure opening in 2008 led to the name change to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Each floor of the hospital is dedicated to a certain specialty, all with their own support technology, satellite pharmacy, dialysis storage, resident physician sleep rooms, and respiratory therapy workrooms. It was also one of the first replacement hospitals in the state of the California that was built to meet all safety standards in the event of an earthquake.

U.S. News and World Report said that UCLA Medical Center was tied for the third best hospital in the country in 2015-16. This was based on a ranking in 15 adult specialties and nine pediatric specialties, an impressive distinction and showcase of its all-around excellence. Healthgrades also recognized the RRUCLA in 2016, giving is the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellent, and naming it one of the 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award, an honor it earned for the second straight year.

Photo credit: Gilbert Mercier