I spent much of my career working with large hospital systems, some of the best in the nation. Professionally, I found it difficult but not impossible to rank hospitals. One simple but reasonably reliable source for potential patients to use is the US News and World Report, which annually lists the best hospitals both nationally and within each state. So, which facilities were the best in Georgia? Here they are: Emory University; Emory St. Joseph; Piedmont Atlanta; Northside Atlanta; Emory Midtown; Wellstar Kennestone; Northside Forsyth; Gwinnett; and Piedmont Fayette.

It ranked Piedmont Henry Hospital very highly (an excellent 5 of 5 possible) regarding treatment of heart failure, stroke, COPD, and nephrology, as well as diabetes (https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ga/henry-medical-center-6381115). However, Piedmont Henry ranked average or below average regarding treatment for: colon cancer surgery, orthopedics, and heart attacks.

Henry was also below average (2 stars out of 5) for patient experience. This was based on patient rankings of overall satisfaction with the hospital, MD communications and patient willingness to recommend the facility.

It should be noted that all rankings are, by design, relative. Henry did not do nearly as well in the rankings as did some other metro area hospitals. However, Henry did perform much better than close-by Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, which received a 1-star rating, the lowest given (https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ga/southern-regional-medical-center-6380945 ).

US News also does national rankings by specialty area, as well as overall (https://health.usnews.com/health-care/best-hospitals/articles/best-hospitals-hon or-roll-and-overview). Per that ranking, the top ten overall are: Mayo Clinic (MN); Cedars-Sinai (CA); NYU; Cleveland Clinic (OH); Johns Hopkins; UCLA; NY Presbyterian; Mass General; Northwestern and Stanford. These are perennially the best in the nation per the magazine.

As every patient knows, there are many other factors in choosing a hospital for your care, factors that are not accounted for simply by looking at ratings. Where your physicians have privileges is another important factor. Plus, convenience is key for many patients. Where is the hospital versus where you live and where your family might reside?

And then there is the expense factor. It’s expensive to be treated far from home. Further, for those on Medicare Advantage, HMOs and PPOs, their choice is restricted by the health insurance plan that they have, forcing them to either choose an in-network facility or pay a large out-of-pocket expense.

These rankings are but one factor in choosing your acute care provider. But every patient should understand why they are going to a particular hospital well before they become an in-patient.

One final note: Any ranking is only as good as the raters and rating system. US News and World Report uses data from 4,554 hospitals across the nation in coming up with rankings. US News evaluates information on “16 adult medical specialties, 10 adult procedures or conditions and 10 pediatric specialties.” Ratings are based on quantitative data related to patient outcomes, primarily using Medicare data, although information from the American Hospital Association and other professional sources was utilized.

Jack Bernard is the former Director of Health Planning for Georgia. He has served 4 terms on two Georgia Boards of Health.