UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital ranked among state, nation’s best

Press release from UF Health

BY MEREDITH BAUER-MITCHELL

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is rated among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals and has risen to No. 3 in Florida in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings released today.

The recognition further strengthens UF Health’s standing as one of the state’s premier academic health systems and brings UF Health’s total number of nationally ranked adult and pediatric specialties to 12, more than any other hospital in Florida.

Seven UF Health pediatric specialties were recognized among the top 50 nationally: cardiology and heart surgery (No. 17), diabetes and endocrinology (No. 32), neurology and neurosurgery (No. 33), pulmonology and lung surgery (No. 34), cancer (No. 35), neonatology (No. 49), and behavioral health (ranked in the top 50).

“This year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings show what we know to be true: UF Health delivers some of the highest-quality pediatric care in the nation and is a leading destination for children’s healthcare in Florida,” said Michael Holmes, M.S.A., UF Health senior vice president and Gainesville regional president. “Our experts’ dedication to our patients is unparalleled, and these rankings reflect how hard they work every day to provide top-tier treatment.”

The results reinforce UF Health’s position as a leading destination for complex pediatric care across Florida and the Southeast, attracting families seeking highly specialized treatment and advanced clinical expertise.

“Our commitment has always been to our patients and their families, and that is reflected not only in these rankings but also in our patient outcomes, our patients’ experiences, and in the support we provide their caregivers and loved ones,” said Rashmin Savani, M.B., Ch.B., chair of the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics. “We are immensely proud of our team members, and they should be proud of this accomplishment.”

The U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals rankings are based on a mix of hard data and expert opinion.

U.S. News gathers healthcare data from more than 115 pediatric medical centers through a detailed survey that evaluates factors such as patient safety, infection prevention, and nurse staffing.

This year, only eight Florida children’s hospitals were ranked among the nation’s top 50 in at least one of the 11 pediatric specialties evaluated.