U.S. News & World Report names Vidant Medical Center among the best in North Carolina | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    Washington, D.C.     Vidant Medical Center has been ranked as one of the best hospitals for 2014-15 in North Carolina by U.S. News & World Report. Vidant Medical Center is ranked #8 in North Carolina and is recognized among the Best Hospitals in the Coastal Plain (NC).

    The annual U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, now in their 25th year, recognize hospitals that excel in treating the most challenging patients.

    "Naturally, we are pleased to be listed by U.S. News as a 'best hospital'," said Steve Lawler, president of Vidant Medical Center. "This recognition is a wonderful reflection of a remarkable team, physicians and other professionals, working to deliver best-in-class care and best-in-class experience to the people and communities we are so privileged to serve."

    Vidant Medical Center also is singled out for recognition as "high-performing" in nine areas of medical specialty:

   •  Cardiology and heart surgery
   •  Diabetes and endocrinology
   •  Ear, nose and throat
   •  Gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery
   •  Geriatrics
   •  Gynecology
   •  Nephrology
   •  Pulmonology
   •  Urology

    For 2014-15, U.S. News evaluated hospitals in 16 adult specialties and ranked the top 50 in most of the specialties. Just 3 percent of the nearly 5,000 hospitals that were analyzed for Best Hospitals 2014-15 earned national ranking in even one specialty.

    U.S. News also recognizes hospitals that perform nearly at the level of their nationally ranked peers and represent valuable regional sources of quality care.

    "The data tell the story – a hospital that emerged from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of," says U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. "A Best Hospital has demonstrated its expertise in treating the most challenging patients."

    U.S. News publishes Best Hospitals to help guide patients who need a high level of care because they face particularly difficult surgery, a challenging condition or extra risk because of age or multiple health problems. Objective measures such as patient survival and safety data, adequacy of nurse staffing levels and other data largely determined the rankings in most specialties.

    The specialty rankings and data were produced for U.S. News by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Using the same data, U.S. News produced the state and metro rankings.

    The rankings are freely available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and appeared in the U.S. News "Best Hospitals 2015" guidebook.

    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 744-3891,

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com