Newsweek Again Ranks Lurie Children’s #1 in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Nationally

For the second year in a row, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago ranked #1 in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery in Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2025. The hospital ranked in the top 10 in five additional specialties – Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Surgery (#3), Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (#3), and Oncology (#5), Neurology and Neurosurgery (#9) and Orthopedics (#10).

Lurie Children’s was also ranked in Endocrinology (#14) and Neonatology (#16).

“Lurie Children’s is proud to be recognized for excellence among the best children’s hospitals in the country, with six out of eight specialties ranking in the top 10,” said Marcelo Malakooti, MD, MBA, CPE, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “We continue to be laser-focused on providing high quality care in a safe and compassionate environment for every child who needs us.” Dr. Malakooti holds the Crown Family Professorship in Pediatrics.

The America’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2025 ranking is based on four data sources:

Nationwide Online Survey: Participants with knowledge about pediatric care (e.g., general and specialized pediatricians and nurses) were asked to recommend leading children’s hospitals in the U.S. The survey was also promoted on newsweek.com.

Hospital Quality Metrics: Hospital quality metrics with a focus on indicators relevant to the respective subspecialties and accreditations/certifications were considered.

Patient Satisfaction: Evaluations from Google were researched for each children’s hospital as a proxy for patient satisfaction with the hospital.

Statista Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) Implementation Survey: Voluntary PROMS implementation survey to determine the status quo of PROMs implementation, audits and reporting of data.

“Lurie Children’s Heart Center is honored to top Newsweek’s list once again,” said Stuart Berger, MD, Division Head of Cardiology at Lurie Children’s and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Our expert cardiac specialists care for patients from before birth, through childhood and into adulthood. We are especially known for our outstanding heart transplant program, with outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. We performed Illinois’ first pediatric heart transplant in 1988, and last year our center performed the highest number of pediatric heart transplants in the country. In addition, our team is proud of our great outcomes with neonatal heart surgery and our cardiac surgery in general. We fully believe that these great outcomes are the result of the multidisciplinary team approach to every single patient and family.”

The Heart Center’s Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) at Lurie Children’s is a state-of-the-art 44-bed unit devoted to the care of young patients with cardiac disease. It is one of the few cardiac units of its kind in the nation, allowing each child to stay in the same private room from admission to discharge. The rooms are technologically equipped for intensive care while providing the family amenities of a regular acute care patient room. Research shows that this unique model of care greatly improves patient and family comfort and satisfaction, as well as patient safety.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is a nonprofit organization committed to providing access to exceptional care for every child. It is the only independent, research-driven children’s hospital in Illinois and one of less than 35 nationally. This is where the top doctors go to train, practice pediatric medicine, teach, advocate, research and stay up to date on the latest treatments. Exclusively focused on children, all Lurie Children’s resources are devoted to serving their needs. Research at Lurie Children’s is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which is focused on improving child health, transforming pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. It is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.