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UC IRVINE MEDICAL CENTER NAMED ONE OF “AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS” BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Orange, Calif., July 13, 2007 – University of California, Irvine Medical Center . has been ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This marks the hospital’s seventh consecutive year on the “America’s Best” list which identifies centers that excel at treating complex cases through bench-to-bedside research, advanced procedures and comprehensive patient care within a specialty. This year, UC Irvine is listed 19th among the top 50 hospitals for urology and 46th among the top 50 for geriatrics.

“Our recognition in U.S. News demonstrates our commitment to providing patients with the high level quality of care that is expected of an academic medical center,” said Maureen Zehntner, interim CEO of UC Irvine Medical Center. “It is the combined talent of our faculty and staff that solidifies our reputation as one of the best hospitals in the country.”

U.S. News & World Report ranks hospitals on their ability to effectively treat the toughest and most challenging cases. Using methodology created by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, the magazine combines a hospital’s reputation, mortality and quality of patient care services, such as nursing, to achieve the rankings. Additional points are awarded to hospitals with Magnet status or a Level I trauma center – two designations UC Irvine Medical Center holds.

This year, U.S. News evaluated 5,462 hospitals nationally. Of those, only slightly more than 3 percent, or 173, met the standard in one or more specialties. UC Irvine’s ranking in urology, 19th among the top 50, can be attributed to the strong reputation of its highly trained urologists who were among the first in the nation to use robotic surgery to treat prostate cancer and are leading the way in new minimally invasive surgery techniques. The hospital’s reputation in the field of geriatrics is also well-established. Researchers and clinicians collaborate on advancing therapies and treatments for health issues impacting older adults and addressing the challenge of elder abuse.

UC Irvine Medical Center plans to open its new state-of-the-art, university hospital in 2009. The facility will include spacious, mostly private rooms and an additional 191 beds that will offer a patient-oriented, healing environment. Carefully planned intensive care units, treatment rooms, laboratories and surgical suites will further facilitate the university’s educational mission and its ability to provide bench-to-bedside research and leading-edge care.

To access the online version of “America’s Best Hospital 2007” visit the U.S. News and World Report Web site: http://health.usnews.com/besthospitals.

About University of California, Irvine Medical Center: UC Irvine Medical Center is the only university hospital in Orange County, offering acute- and general-care service. It has the county’s only Level I trauma center, American College of Surgeons-verified regional burn center and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. Included in its University Children’s Hospital is the county’s most sophisticated neonatal unit, caring for more than 500 premature and at-risk infants a year. It was the first Orange County hospital to receive Magnet Designation for nursing excellence and is ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report’s annual listing of “America’s Best Hospitals.” For more, visit www.ucihealth.com.

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Contact:

Susan Mancia
714-456-3640
smancia@uci.edu

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