Are you wondering about where you can find the best possible medical care? US News has just released the results of its annual best hospitals honor roll and medical specialties rankings to help with the decision process. 

2018 The top ten Hospitals, in order, are:

1. The Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota
2. The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio
3. Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland
4. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts
5. University of Michigan Hospitals-Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan
6. UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, California
7. UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California
8. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California 
9. Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital in Stanford, California
10. New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, New York 

How do they decide on who makes it onto the list?

They base their rankings on sixteen areas of complex specialty that include cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, psychiatry, pulmonology, rehabilitation. rheumatology, and urology. US News also rates the hospitals on nine bellwether conditions and procedures including heart bypass, heart failure and lung cancer surgery, and hip and knee replacement. 

When looking for the best hospital for you, consider the overall hospital care as well as their expertise and reputation regarding the specific type of care that you will be needing. All hospitals tend to have an area that they excel in more than others. US News points out that many hospitals in the country fail at adequate care for basic procedures and that they do even worse when it comes to more complex treatment requirements. It is important to know what a hospital’s performance is like so that you can locate the best care available for you as well as your loved ones.