Kidney Disease was one of five categories at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center listed in the 2008 edition of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

“The national recognition that is associated with a ranking of this type is a testament to our superb physicians and staff,” said Barry Freedman, M.D., section head of Internal Medicine-Nephrology at Wake Forest Baptist. “Since it was founded in 1974, the section on nephrology has rapidly achieved prominence in the care of patients with all types of kidney disease, as well as research involving the clinical and genetic aspects of diseases of the kidneys.”

Wake Forest Baptist is ranked in respiratory disorders, cancer, endocrinology, kidney disease and urology. The Medical Center has previously been ranked in four of the five categories listed. It is the first year that the Medical Center has been ranked for kidney disease.

The 2008 guide to “America’s Best Hospitals” includes 170 medical centers nationwide out of a total of 5,453 that were initially evaluated. Only 50 hospitals per specialty are ranked in each of 16 categories. 

The specialties in which Wake Forest Baptist was ranked, and the rankings, are respiratory disorders (20th), cancer (26th), endocrinology (35th), kidney disease (38th) and urology (48th). The goal of the rankings is to identify medical centers that excel at treating a variety of demanding illnesses within a specialty.

“Talent and money alone don’t put hospitals in the rankings,” said Avery Comarow, Best Hospitals editor. Hospitals nationwide are evaluated by a number of factors, including reputation, mortality ratio (actual deaths compared to expected deaths), the availability of advanced technologies, how many patient and community services are provided, the ratio of registered nurses to beds, and the number of patients treated in a particular specialty.

Wake Forest Baptist has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993.