BJC Health System Awarded 86 Recognitions for Clinical Excellence by U.S. News & World Report
ST. LOUIS – BJC Health System has received 86 recognitions for clinical excellence by U.S. News & World Report, including national recognition for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 11 out of 14 specialties. Multiple BJC hospitals are ranked among the best in Missouri. Barnes-Jewish Hospital and its physician partners at Washington University School of Medicine are once again ranked No. 1 in the metro St. Louis area and No. 1 in Missouri. Missouri Baptist Medical Center is tied for No. 2 in both categories. Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City and Saint Luke’s East Hospital in Lee’s Summit are recognized as among the top three hospitals in Kansas City and among the top eight hospitals in Missouri.
In January 2024, BJC HealthCare and Saint Luke’s integrated into BJC Health System in a commitment to deliver high-quality, affordable patient care to the communities they serve across Missouri, southern Illinois and eastern Kansas. Together, they are operating as a single health care organization that serves two regions with a distinct brand in each: BJC HealthCare in the East Region (St. Louis) and Saint Luke’s in the West Region (Kansas City).
Barnes-Jewish Hospital ranked nationally in 11 specialties: cancer; cardiology, heart & vascular surgery; diabetes & endocrinology; ear, nose & throat; gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery; geriatrics; neurology & neurosurgery; obstetrics & gynecology; orthopedics; pulmonology & lung surgery; and urology.
Missouri Baptist Medical Center is recognized as high performing in four specialties: gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, neurology & neurosurgery and urology, and Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City is recognized as high performing in three specialties: cardiology, heart & vascular surgery, gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery and neurology & neurosurgery.
“We are proud to see our East Region and West Region hospitals recognized by U.S. News & World Report,” said Rich Liekweg, BJC Health System CEO. “This well-deserved recognition is a testament to our organization’s mission of improving health care across the Midwest. We are grateful to our Washington University Physicians, our community physicians, and our caregivers across BJC for delivering extraordinary care to our patients.”
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Christian Hospital have been included among 53 hospitals in the inaugural list of, “Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access,” by U.S. News & World Report. St. Louis is one of only five cities nationwide to have two hospitals meeting the criteria. Among the criteria are the percentage of inpatient visits involving patients living in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, the percentage of a hospital’s population funded by Medicaid and having a patient population that reflects the racial and ethnic composition of the surrounding community.
U.S. News & World Report also rates hospitals on a scale of High Performing, Average, or Below Average in 20 common procedures and conditions. BJC Health System hospitals were rated high performing in multiple categories, which can be viewed here.
The rankings for pediatric hospitals will be released this fall – in 2023, St. Louis Children’s Hospital ranked nationally among the top 12 percent (No. 23) and is ranked in eight pediatric specialties. Rankings have been published on U.S. News & World Report’s website, usnews.com/besthospitals, and will appear in the magazine’s August issue.
About BJC Health System
BJC Health System is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and the largest in the state of Missouri, serving urban, suburban and rural communities in Missouri, southern Illinois and eastern Kansas. One of the largest employers in Missouri, BJC operates in two distinct regions as Saint Luke’s in the west and BJC HealthCare in the east. BJC is comprised of 24 hospitals and hundreds of clinics and service organizations, all committed to providing extraordinary patient care and advancing medical breakthroughs. BJC’s nationally recognized academic hospitals, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, are affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.