New report ranks Bay Area children’s hospitals among the best

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, and it includes two specialty pediatric centers in the Greater Bay Area.

In its 19th annual report, U.S. News recognized 118 top pediatric hospitals across the country in nearly one-dozen specialties that include cancer, cardiology, gastroenterology and neonatology, among others.

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Children’s hospitals were rated on performance measures that include survival rates, patient safety, infection prevention and adequacy of nurse staffing, according to U.S. News.

In California, there were 10 best-ranking children’s hospitals, with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland placing third. Tied for first place was Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

Nationally, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals ranked sixth for neonatology care, based on measures that include neonatal growth, prevention of infections, availability of critical technologies such as heart-lung treatment, specialized staff, and experience in treating the sickest infants, according to U.S. News.

There are no children’s hospitals in the North Bay, but that doesn’t mean specialized pediatric care isn’t more locally available.

UCSF Health has partnerships with MarinHealth Medical Center and Sonoma Valley Hospital and that includes specialized pediatric care.

The two regional hospital affiliations also simplifies the process for seriously ill young patients who need to be transferred to one of UCSF children’s hospitals, according to UCSF Health, MarinHealth and Sonoma Valley Hospital.

UCSF also operates several pediatric specialty clinics at the two hospitals, as well as in Santa Rosa for patients of its children’s hospitals. The Santa Rosa clinics focus on specialties ranging from pediatric gastroenterology to cardiology, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes and more, according to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals’ website.

Its hospitals also were recognized for pediatric and adolescent behavioral health programs, a newer category, according to U.S. News.

“The data are clear: one in five U.S. children has a mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder and nearly one in three youth ages 12 to 17 are navigating a mental or behavioral health condition,” Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News, said in the Oct. 7 press release.

U.S. News gathered its data from sources that include RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm, and clinical surveys of children’s hospitals and pediatric doctors nationwide.

U.S. News & World Report in 1983 began producing hundreds of rankings within multiple categories. The organization was founded in 1933.