U.S.News & World Report has recognized The Methodist Hospital in Houston as one of the nation’s best hospitals, placing it for the first time on the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll.

The Methodist Hospital is the only hospital in Texas to earn a spot on the “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll, which includes 21 hospitals throughout the country. The Honor Roll recognizes hospitals that are the “best of the best” in patient care, patient safety, outcomes, nursing, advanced technology and reputation. This year, Methodist was ranked in 15 out of 16 specialties in U.S.News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Hospitals” issue. Only a handful of hospitals are ranked in this many specialties and Methodist is ranked in more than any hospital in Texas.

The Methodist Hospital has 10 specialties ranked in the top 25, with 12 specialties improving their rank from 2008.

Of the 4,800 hospitals nationwide eligible to be ranked this year, only 174 were ranked in one or more of the 16 specialties. Methodist has ranked consistently in clinical areas since the rankings began in 1990.

“Making the Honor Roll is a tremendous achievement for our physicians, nurses and employees at Methodist who give the best of themselves to our patients every day,” said Ron Girotto, president and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System. “As an academic medical center, we are determined to provide our community with the highest quality medical care, research and education, and it's wonderful to be recognized nationally along with these other great institutions.”

Methodist ranked in the following specialties: cancer (29), diabetes/endocrinology (24), ear, nose, throat (21), gastroenterology (16), geriatrics (28), gynecology (35), heart/heart Surgery (19), kidney (27), neurology/neurosurgery (13), ophthalmology (13), orthopedics (29), psychiatry (22), respiratory disorders (22), rheumatology (23) and urology (13). The hospitals chosen by the magazine received a score that weighs reputation, mortality and a group of care-related factors such as nursing and technology. Each specialty lists the 50 highest-scoring hospitals.

“When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for someone close to you,” said Avery Comarow, U.S.News & World Report health rankings editor. “These are hospitals that are used to getting the sickest patients.”

The rankings are online at www.usnews.com, and the magazine featuring the rankings will be on the newsstands July 21.

Also this year, Methodist was named No. 8 on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America list.