DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University Medical Center is again on the U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of best hospitals. This is the fourth consecutive year that Duke has placed sixth on the list. The rankings are included in the July 28, 2003 edition of the magazine.

The top 10 institutions on the Honor Roll are:

1. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
2. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
3. UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
4. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
5. Cleveland Clinic
6. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
7. University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
8. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis
9. University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor
10. University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle

"We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again included Duke amongst the very best medical centers in the United States. This designation is a reflection of the talent and dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff," said William J. Fulkerson Jr., M.D., CEO of Duke University Hospital.

The annual U.S. News rankings of 203 medical centers, winnowed from 6,003 hospitals across the country, highlight 17 specialties. Duke University Medical Center was ranked in 16 of these:

4th     Heart & Heart Surgery
5th     Geriatrics
5th     Gynecology
6th     Orthopedics
7th     Cancer  
8th     Digestive Disorders
8th     Eyes
8th     Kidney Disease
8th     Urology
9th     Respiratory Disorders
9th     Rheumatology
10th    Psychiatry
13th    Neurology & Neurosurgery
16th    Hormonal Disorders
19th    Pediatrics
21st    Ear, Nose and Throat

This is the 14th year that U.S. News has compiled the rankings. The methodology currently used was devised in 1993 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, which carries out the analysis and refines it as needed. Additional information can be found at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.