Neonatology Program Ranks in Top 25 in the Nation

Jun. 14, 2021 - UR Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s best in the neonatology specialty area in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospital rankings.

The 2021-2022 rankings, placed the children’s hospital’s neonatology program at #21 in the nation.

“Our physicians, scientists, nurses, and support staff in Neonatology have raised the bar for both clinical excellence and research innovation,” said Patrick Brophy, M.D., the William H. Eilinger Professor and Chair of Pediatrics and the Physician-in-Chief of Golisano Children’s Hospital. “We are proud to be considered in the top 25 of children’s hospitals in this category.”

The Division of Neonatology provides care for critically ill and premature newborns, and treats more than 1,100 infants every year. The division is staffed by 19 physicians, approximately nine physician trainees, 35 advanced practice providers, and 300 nurses. The Gosnell Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the only Level IV NICU in the 14-county Finger Lakes region.

“The ranking reflects the department’s growing reputation beyond the Finger Lakes; our reach extends across Western NY to parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio,” said Carl D’Angio, M.D., chief of the Division of Neonatology. “We also have a national reputation as a leader in laboratory research, clinical investigation and quality science, making the cutting edge discoveries and innovations that move neonatal care forward.”

The academic missions of the Division are led by more than 25 faculty actively engaged in research, education and quality improvement efforts. These academic efforts are supported by numerous local, state and federal grants.

The Division of Neonatology has been at the forefront of advanced research in the field. Last year, a large cohort study of extremely preterm infants conducted by principal investigator Jeffrey Meyers, M.D., medical director of the NICU, found that weight gain during NICU hospitalization without concomitant linear growth was not associated with improved neurodevelopment at 2 years of age.

Gloria Pryhuber, M.D., leads a research program developing molecular maps of the human lung as part of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored LungMAP and HuBMAP collaborative projects. Dr. Pryhuber, along with a number of University of Rochester Medical Center and national and international collaborators, recently received renewed funding to continue this research.

David Dean, Ph.D., a national leader in gene therapy research, recently received funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to apply his innovative methods to advance cures for lung disease.

“Our research advancements, combined with our clinical excellence, have positioned this division to continue moving forward as one of the best in the nation,” said D’Angio.

The U.S. News and World Report rankings feature the 50 best children’s hospitals in each of 10 pediatric specialties. Over the past nine years, Golisano Children’s Hospital has appeared in the top 50 in six of the 10 categories.