Becker's Hospital Review has named the following organizations to the 2016 edition of its list, "100 hospitals and health systems with great neurosurgery and spine programs."
The hospitals and health systems on this year's list are national forerunners in neuroscience, providing treatment for patients suffering from various conditions and injuries pertaining to the brain and spine.
To develop this list, Becker's Hospital Review selected hospitals for inclusion based on national rankings and awards garnered for superior outcomes in neurosurgery, neurological care and spine surgery. The team examined U.S. News & World Report national rankings for neurology and neurosurgery; CareChex national and regional rankings for neurological care, neurosurgery and spine surgery; Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery designation; Healthgrades awards for spine surgery, neurosurgery, cranial neurosurgery and stroke care; and Magnet designation for nursing excellence.
Note: Hospitals cannot pay for inclusion on the list. This list is not a ranking. Organizations are presented in alphabetical order.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis). The spine institute at Abbott Northwestern was designed with input from physicians, nurses, patients and their families to create a patient-centered environment with physical therapy spaces and private rooms with a sleeping area for guests. [READ MORE]
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. U.S. News & World Report ranked this Chicago pediatric hospital No. 6 in the nation for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery. [READ MORE]
Baptist Hospital of Miami. Baptist Health Neuroscience Center at Baptist Hospital operates under a philosophy to provide the most effective care in the least invasive manner. [READ MORE]
Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix. CareChex ranked Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix, formerly Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, as the No. 19 hospital in the nation for major neurological surgery for 2017. [READ MORE]
Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis). U.S. News & World Report named Barnes-Jewish Hospital the No. 10 hospital in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery for 2017. [READ MORE]
Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas). This Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Designated Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery features a neuroscience center staffed by an integrated team of neurologists, neurosurgeons and physiatrists. [READ MORE]
Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak (Mich.). The Neuroscience Center of Excellence at Beaumont is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Designated Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery and has received the Stroke Care Excellence Award from Healthgrades for the past three years. [READ MORE]
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital (Charleston, S.C.). The Roper St. Francis Brain and Spine Tumor Clinic brings together experts in neurosurgery and oncology to offer patients with primary and secondary brain and spine tumors coordinated care. [READ MORE]
Boston Children's Hospital. Boston Children's Hospital was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the top pediatric hospital for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). U.S. News & World Report ranked Brigham and Women's Hospital 11th in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
Carle Foundation Hospital (Urbana, Ill.). The Carle Neuroscience Institute offers treatment in 13 subspecialties and accommodates approximately 20,000 patient visits a year, including 570 neuro-related trauma cases. [READ MORE]
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles). Cedars-Sinai is recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and was ranked 18th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report for neurology and neurosurgery. [READ MORE]
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. For 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked CHOP as the No. 3 pediatric hospital in the country for neurology and neurosurgery.[READ MORE]
Christiana Care Health System (Newark, Del.). Using the most advanced techniques and technologies available, surgeons in Christiana Care's 30-bed spine surgery unit perform nearly 2,400 spinal surgeries every year. [READ MORE]
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. For 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cincinnati Children's Hospital as the No. 4 pediatric hospital in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery. [READ MORE]
Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute offers patients a multidisciplinary, disease-specific, patient-focused care model. [READ MORE]
Duke University Hospital (Durham, N.C.). U.S. News & World Report ranked Duke University Hospital No. 33 in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery for 2017 [READ MORE]
Emory University Hospital (Atlanta). For the past three years, Healthgrades has recognized Emory University Hospital for superior outcomes in stroke care and neurosurgery with its Neurosciences Excellence Award. [READ MORE]
Evanston (Ill.) Hospital. Opened in 1891, Evanston Hospital is the flagship facility for the Evanston-based NorthShore University HealthSystem. [READ MORE]
Florida Hospital Orlando. Established in 1998, the Neuroscience Institute at Florida Hospital Orlando has grown into a prominent facility for neurological care and neurosurgery. [READ MORE]
Frederick (Md.) Memorial Hospital. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has designated Frederick Memorial Hospital as Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery. [READ MORE]
Froedtert Hospital (Milwaukee, Wis.). As the region's only academic medical center, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, its affiliate, offer neurological patients access to many specialty and subspecialty programs. [READ MORE]
Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, Pa.) This Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, as recognized by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, offers inpatient and outpatient neurological care for adults and children. [READ MORE]
Harper University Hospital (Detroit). Harper University Hospital and teaching facility, part of Detroit Medical Center, has served patients from across the country and around the world for more than 150 years. [READ MORE]
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, Calif.). Physical therapists, pain management specialists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and nurses staff the Advanced Brain and Spine Care Unit and neurosurgery spine program at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. [READ MORE]
Hospital for Special Surgery (New York). For three consecutive years — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — Healthgrades named Hospital for Special Surgery as one of the top 100 hospitals in America for spine surgery. [READ MORE]
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). This designated Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery ranked No. 14 in the country for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report's 2016-17 rankings. [READ MORE]
Houston Methodist Hospital. With more than 20 specialized centers and programs, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute provides comprehensive care for a wide range of neurological diseases and conditions. [READ MORE]
Huntington Memorial Hospital (Pasadena, Calif.). U.S. News & World Report ranked Huntington Memorial Hospital among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery in its 2016-17 rankings. [READ MORE]
Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital. This hospital provides Madison County residents with access to the county's only Joint Commission-accredited Primary Stroke Center. [READ MORE]
IU Health Academic Health Center (Indianapolis). U.S. News & World Report ranked IU Health No. 29 in the country for neurology and neurosurgery for its 2016-17 rankings. [READ MORE]
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). In 1902, the first brain surgery in the United States was performed by Harvey Cushing, MD — known as the father of neurosurgery — at Johns Hopkins. The hospital has continued to grow its specialty program since then. [READ MORE]
Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital. At Lancaster, patients suffering from frequent migraines and tension headaches can access a headache rehabilitation program designed to reduce the amount of medication needed to control headaches, decrease the severity and duration of the headaches and improve quality of life. [READ MORE]
Maine Medical Center (Portland). The spine program at MMC's Neuroscience Institute is a partnership between MMC and community-based physicians that includes a spine, stroke, epilepsy and brain tumor programs. [READ MORE]
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). The neurology department at Massachusetts General is staffed by more than 230 physicians and scientists. [READ MORE]
Marin General Hospital (Greenbrae, Calif.) This Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery has earned Healthgrades' Stroke Care Excellence Award for the past three years. [READ MORE]
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Three Mayo Clinic campuses were ranked among the top 50 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in U.S. News & World Report's most recent rankings: Mayo Clinic Phoenix as No. 45, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville (Fla.) as No. 31 and Mayo Clinic Rochester (Minn.) as No. 1. [READ MORE]
Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center (Charleston, S.C.). This Magnet-designated hospital features the Brain & Spine Tumor Program. Healthgrades has repeatedly lauded MUSC for superior stroke care and neurosurgical outcomes, recognizing the hospital with both the America's 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award and the Neurosciences Excellence Award for 2015, 2016 and 2017. [READ MORE]
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (Clinton). Surgeons at this hospital regularly perform multiple neurological procedures, including minimally invasive spine surgery, nerve decompression and nerve reconstruction surgery. [READ MORE]
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (Houston). Neurosurgeons at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Texas Medical Center in Houston perform more than 7,000 procedures annually. [READ MORE]
Memorial Medical Center (Springfield, Ill.) The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has named this hospital a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery. [READ MORE]
Dignity Health-Mercy General Hospital (Sacramento, Calif.). Patients at Mercy General Hospital have access to Dignity Health Neurological Institute of Northern California, which is staffed by neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventional radiologists and neurocritical care specialists. [READ MORE]
Miami Valley Hospital (Dayton, Ohio). Clinicians and surgeons at the Neuroscience Institute at Miami Valley Hospital provide patients with the full spectrum of neurological care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [READ MORE]
Mission Hospital (Asheville, N.C.). As the flagship hospital of Mission Health, Mission Hospital's inpatient neurology program is comprised of a 14-bed neuro-trauma intensive care unit, a 36-bed neurosciences unit and a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. [READ MORE]
Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital (Greensboro, N.C.). Cone Health's flagship hospital is a designated Blue Distinction+ Center for Spine Surgery. [READ MORE]
Mother Frances Hospital (Tyler, Texas). For the most recent rankings available, CareChex named Mother Frances the No. 3 hospital in Texas for neurological surgery. [READ MORE]
Mount Sinai Hospital (New York). For 2016-17, U.S. News & World Report ranked Mount Sinai Hospital No. 12 in the nation for neurology and neurological care. [READ MORE]
Munroe Regional Medical Center (Ocala, Fla.). For 2017, CareChex ranked Munroe Regional as the No. 4 hospital in Florida for spine surgery. [READ MORE]
Nebraska Spine Hospital (Omaha). From the environment to the staff, every element Nebraska Spine Hospital is tailored exclusively to facilitate the diagnosis, treatment and recovery of patients with conditions of the spine. [READ MORE]
NewYork-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (New York). U.S. News & World Report ranked NewYork-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell as the No. 3 hospital in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
Northwest Community Hospital (Arlington Heights, Ill.). Through its partnership with Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern Community Hospital provides patients 24/7 access to Northwestern's neurologists. [READ MORE]
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago). An arm of Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital ranked No. 9 on U.S. News & World Report's best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
NYU Langone Medical Center (New York). The 718-bed NYU Langone Medical Center's neurologists, neurosurgeons and rehabilitation experts manage conditions ranging from brain and spinal cord tumors; spine and peripheral nerve disorders; and traumatic brain injury. [READ MORE]
Ochsner Medical Center (New Orleans). U.S. News & World Report classified Ochsner Medical Center as the No. 23 hospital in the country for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital (Columbus). The 1,059-bed OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital is home to one of the nation's largest neuroscience programs covering stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. [READ MORE]
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus). A designated Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is the 900-bed flagship hospital for The Ohio State University in Columbus. [READ MORE]
Penn State Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center. This Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery was also ranked the No. 2 hospital in Pennsylvania for major neurological surgery by CareChex for 2017. [READ MORE]
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland, Ore.). The Brain and Spine Institute at 523-bed Providence St. Vincent Medical Center treats all conditions of the brain, spine and nervous system. [READ MORE]
Reading Hospital (West Reading, Pa.). A designated Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, Reading Hospital is nationally recognized for its stroke care. [READ MORE]
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles). UCLA Medical Center's department of neurology was established in the 1950s and has grown to include more than 100 faculty members. [READ MORE]
Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). U.S. News & World Report ranked Rush University Medical Center as the No. 13 hospital in the country for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City (Mo.) A team of 14 neurologists make up Saint Luke's Neurological Consultants, providing care for a spectrum of brain and spine disorders. [READ MORE]
Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery (Nashville, Tenn.) Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery offers spinal procedures spanning spinal fusion, lumbar discectomy, carpal tunnel syndrome treatment and dorsal column stimulator treatment. [READ MORE]
Scripps Health (San Diego). The 1,409-bed Scripps Health has four primary stroke centers — Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. [READ MORE]
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. The board-certified, fellowship-trained specialists in the Department of Neurosurgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore treat the entire spectrum of brain and spine disorders. [READ MORE]
Southcoast Hospitals Group – Charlton Memorial (Fall River, Mass.). Through Charlton Memorial Hospital and New Bedford, Mass.-based St. Luke's Hospital, the Southcoast Hospitals Group performs more than 700 neurosurgery procedures annually, making it the leading neurosurgical services provider in the region, according to the health system. [READ MORE]
St. Cloud (Minn.) Hospital. As a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, stroke specialists at St. Cloud assist institutions throughout the central Minnesota region through the hospital's TeleStroke Program. [READ MORE]
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center (Phoenix). The 586-bed St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center — a part of San Francisco-based Dignity Health — was ranked No. 16 on U.S. News & World Report's list of 50 best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
St. Louis Children's Hospital-Washington University. U.S. News & World Report identified the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as the No. 5 best hospital for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
St. Luke's Regional Medical Center (Boise, Idaho). The largest healthcare provider in Idaho, St. Luke's Regional Medical Center has earned multiple awards from Healthgrades, including its 2017 Spine Surgery Excellence Award and for the past three years, America's 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award and the Neurosciences Excellence Award. [READ MORE]
St. Mary's Health Care System (Athens, Ga.) St. Mary's Health Care System was the first community hospital in the U.S. to gain Joint Commission certification in stroke care, and is the first Advanced Primary Stroke Center in the Athens area. [READ MORE]
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care-Stanford Hospital. Stanford Hospital houses one of the nation's first outpatient settings combining neurosurgery, neurology and interventional neuroradiology. [READ MORE]
Swedish Medical Center-Cherry Hill (Seattle). Swedish Medical Center-Cherry Hill established the Swedish Neurosciences Institute in 2004. [READ MORE]
Texas Children's Hospital (Houston). Texas Children's Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience department is staffed by 50 faculty members including neurologists, developmental pediatricians, neurophysiologists and research scientists. [READ MORE]
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. The 720-bed Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth provides neurosurgical treatments like stereotactic radiosurgery, image guided neurosurgery brain injury transitional services. [READ MORE]
Texas Spine and Joint Hospital (Tyler). The Texas Spine and Joint Hospital is the No. 2 hospital in the state and the No. 15 nationwide for spinal surgery according to CareChex's most recent rankings. [READ MORE]
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia). Ranked No. 24 on U.S. News & World Report's best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery for 2016-17, the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience is the only hospital dedicated to neuroscience in the Philadelphia area. [READ MORE]
Tucson (Ariz.) Medical Center. TMC is a regional spine surgery destination where physicians treat approximately 70 patients with deep brain stimulation each year. [READ MORE]
UC San Diego Medical Center-UC San Diego Health. Acting as San Diego's only academic health center, UC San Diego Medical Center's Neurological Institute is staffed by more than 40 neurologists and neurosurgeons providing care in several specialty programs, including those for brain tumors, paralysis and autism. [READ MORE]
UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco). UCSF Medical Center is home to one of the nation's largest spine centers, where 10,000 patients seek treatment each year. [READ MORE]
UF Health Shands Hospital (Gainesville, Fla.) More than 1,000 spinal surgery cases for conditions like spinal fractures and spinal cord tumors are accommodated annually by the faculty at UF Health Shands Hospital. [READ MORE]
University Hospital (Augusta Ga.) The 581-bed University Hospital is a certified Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and home to a five-bed stroke unit. [READ MORE]
University Hospitals Case Medical Center (Cleveland). Fourteen centers of excellence mark University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Neurological Institute, including centers specializing in brain tumors, neuro-oncology and stroke. [READ MORE]
University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham. Ranked among the top 25 hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report for 2016-17, the University of Alabama Hospital's department of neurosurgery includes 13 full-time neurosurgeons who perform more than 4,000 procedures annually. [READ MORE]
University of California Davis Medical Center (Sacramento). The 627-bed academic medical center boasts inland northern California's only Level I trauma center treating a spectrum of spine ailments including athlete disorders, fractures and tumors. [READ MORE]
University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora). The 620-bed teaching hospital's neurointensive care unit is staffed by nurses who nearly all have critical care registered nurse or certified neuroscience nurse board certifications. [READ MORE]
University of Chicago Medical Center. University of Chicago Medical Center employs more than 80 physician-scientists and lab-based neuroscientists who research treatments and cures for a range of conditions. [READ MORE]
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (Iowa City). The department of neurosurgery at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics includes the Human Brain Research Laboratory. [READ MORE]
University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City). Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 22 hospital nationally for neurology and neurosurgery, the University of Kansas Hospital accommodates the largest neurosurgical group in the area. [READ MORE]
University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Center (Ann Arbor). Seventy nationally recognized neuroscience physicians at the University of Michigan, where providers have delivered spine and nervous system care for nearly a century, administer care for patients with brain tumors, epilepsy, stroke and movement disorders. [READ MORE]
University of Vermont Medical Center (Burlington). UVM, in alliance with the University of Vermont in Burlington, is the state's No. 1 center for stroke care and neurological care according to CareChex. [READ MORE]
University of Virginia Medical Center (Charlottesville). The neurosciences center at this 600-bed academic medical center is home to specialized programs for brain tumors, neurovascular surgery, spine conditions and stroke. [READ MORE]
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Madison). Clinching the No. 40 spot on U.S. News & World Report's 2016-17 best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery, UW Health's neurologists treat a spectrum of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, dementia and Parkinson's disease. [READ MORE]
UPMC (Pittsburgh). The flagship of UPMC is made up of two campuses roughly two miles apart — the 795-bed Presbyterian location and the 520-bed tertiary hospital at Shadyside. [READ MORE]
UR Medicine Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, N.Y.). The 800-bed Strong Memorial Hospital is an academic medical center affiliated with University of Rochester Medical Center. [READ MORE]
UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). The department of neurological surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center is recognized as one of the top 50 programs nationwide for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report for 2016-17. [READ MORE]
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.). U.S. News & World Report ranked Vanderbilt University Medical Center No. 43 in the nation for adult neurology and neurosurgery. [READ MORE]
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Physicians working at various neurology-focused specialty centers throughout Wake Forest treat conditions like ALS, epilepsy and spine issues. [READ MORE]
Via Christi Hospital St. Francis (Wichita, Kan.) Providing specialized care for stroke, cerebral aneurysms and blood vessel malformation, Via Christi Hospital St. Francis is its region's only 24/7 neurointerventional center. [READ MORE]
Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. The neurosurgery department at 1,541-bed Yale-New Haven Hospital dates back to 1918 and touts several milestones in neurological care, including the first transplant of a nerve cell into the brain of a multiple sclerosis patient. [READ MORE]