Cincinnati-The Christ Hospital and The University Hospital have placed nine of their patient care programs among the nation's best in the 2003 U.S.News & World Report annual guide to "America's Best Hospitals."

The programs at The Christ Hospital ranked in the July 28 U.S.News & World Report include: Digestive Disorders (50), Geriatrics (33), Gynecology (26), Heart (33), Neurology and Neurosurgery (46), Respiratory Disorders (26) and Rheumatology (31). The University Hospital received rankings in the categories of Ear, Nose and Throat (20), Hormonal Disorders (45) and Respiratory Disorders (47).

The U.S.News & World Report "America's Best Hospitals" ranks 17 different medical specialties at hospitals nationwide. To even be considered for this list, hospitals had to meet any of three standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliation with a medical school, or availability of at least nine of 17 specified items of medical technology. In each specialty, a hospital must perform a given number of procedures or had to be cited by at least one physician responding to U.S. News surveys in the past three years. These hospitals received a score that equally weighed reputation, mortality and a group of care-related factors such as nursing.

The Christ Hospital and The University Hospital are part of the Health Alliance, an integrated health care delivery system which also includes The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital, The Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom.