Cohen pediatric hospital in New Hyde Park named 2nd best in NY

U.S. News & World Report, a media outlet known for its research and rankings, named Cohen Children's Medical Center the second best pediatric hospital in the state and included it on a list of the top 10 such centers in the mid-Atlantic region.

U.S. News & World Report released its annual children's hospital rankings on Tuesday; it partnered with the research firm RTI International to compile the list based on data from 108 hospitals and surveys of thousands of pediatric specialists. Northwell's pediatric hospital in New Hyde Park was the only Long Island facility included in U.S. News & World Report's list. However, other regional providers — including NYU Langone and Mount Sinai — were recognized for their hospitals in Manhattan.

Northwell, the state's largest health system, said it was proud to be named the second best in the state, and sixth best in the region.

"At Cohen Children’s Medical Center, we understand that a child is a parent’s most treasured gift," Northwell CEO and president Michael Dowling said in a statement. "We take making them well again to heart, but our mission goes beyond healing — we are also dedicated to creating a supportive, comforting environment for families and children while they are in our care."

U.S. News & World Report bases about 5 to 10% of a hospital's ranking on clinician responses to surveys. This has been controversial since respondents may be motivated to promote their workplaces, or otherwise offer subjective feedback. U.S. News & World Report uses surveys to gauge where clinicians would refer patients, but their responses carry more weight if they recommend hospitals where they don’t have an affiliation, said Sarah Pike, a spokeswoman for the publication.

The publication has decreased how much weight it gives to surveys in recent years, and relied more on hospital staffing, resources, processes and outcomes.

This year, the publication's evaluation dug into hospitals' performance in 11 specialties, such as pediatric cancer, heart surgery, orthopedics and behavioral health.

"When confronted with the daunting task of selecting a hospital for their child's specialized medical needs, parents and caregivers can use U.S. News' evaluation of pediatric hospital performance as a valuable resource," Ben Harder, the outlet's chief of health analysis, said in a statement. "This year's inclusion of behavioral health as a new specialty is significant, as one in five U.S. children has a mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder, according to the Department of Health and Human Services."

By Sarina Trangle

sarina.trangle@newsday.comSarinaTrangle

Sarina Trangle covers affordability and cost of living issues and other business topics. She previously worked as an editor and reporter at amNewYork.