The news organization ranked UF Health Shands as the second best overall hospital in the state, behind Florida Hospital Orlando. That was a one-slot improvement from 2014.

Nationally, UF Health Shands ranked in the top 50 in seven specialties: nephrology (13), diabetes and endocrinology (28), pulmonology (29), urology (37), neurology and neurosurgery (40), cardiology and heart surgery (42) and cancer (46).

That showing was an improvement from 2014, when the hospital ranked in the top 50 nationally in three specialties: nephrology (25), cardiology and heart surgery ( 41) and pulmonology (47).

UF Health Shands Chief Executive Officer Ed Jimenez said the significant year-to-year strides in nephrology, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonology, urology and cancer are the results of several years of efforts to recruit and hire experienced and skilled physicians, nurses and staff.

“You have to build things over time,” Jimenez said. “You hire people. They need to see patients and those patients have to have good outcomes. Other doctors have to hear about it and send you more patients.”

Jimenez said he felt an interesting side story to the hospital’s high ranking in nephrology -- 13th nationally in the treatment of kidney problems -- was the fact that it came in the year marking the 50th anniversary of the invention of Gatorade. Gatorade inventor Dr. Robert Cade was a University of Florida nephrologist.

Shands was also rated “high performing” in five specialties where the hospital did not achieve a top 50 national ranking: gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, orthopedics, and ear, nose and throat.

Jimenez pointed to gastroenterology as a specialty where he feels the hospital is moving to a national ranking. He said the hospital has a “world renowned” gastroenterologist in UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute Director Dr. David Nelson and is working to surround him with additional experienced, skilled physicians and researchers to boost the department’s national profile.

This area’s other hospitals -- North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville and Ocala Regional Medical Center and Munroe Regional in Ocala -- were not nationally ranked in any specialty or among the top hospitals in the state.

The annual U.S. News and World Report rankings look at performance-related data, including death rates for patients and other patient safety information. An annual survey asking doctors which hospitals they consider the best in a specialty area is also factored in.

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