St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® recently received two prestigious recognitions that underscore the hospital’s unique role in the charitable and health care landscape.

In June, St. Jude was ranked the nation’s top children’s cancer hospital, according to the 2010-11 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. St. Jude received the best overall score summarizing quality of care. And in March, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation by the international research firm Harris Interactive.

U.S. News & World Report, noted for its extensive and comprehensive ranking systems in education and health care, has published the annual America’s Best Hospitals since 1990. Since 2007, pediatric hospital rankings have been published separately under America’s Best Children’s Hospitals. The hospitals are judged on three areas: reputation; medical outcomes such as cancer survival; and quality of care.

“This recognition is an outstanding external acknowledgment for our institution, but more importantly for the dedicated St. Jude faculty and staff who devote their time, talent and lives to the young patients we see every day,” said Dr. William E. Evans, St. Jude director and CEO.

The 2010 Harris Poll EquiTrend®, which was released March 4, also reported that St. Jude ranked second among the nation’s top charities in overall brand equity.

“We are honored that the American public thinks so highly of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “We know that this trust is the reason so many families turn to St. Jude for our lifesaving care, and also why millions of Americans support St. Jude as we seek to save children’s lives.”

The 2010 EquiTrend® study conducted by Harris measured 1,151 brands, including nonprofits, and measured brand equity, customer connection, commitment, energy, brand behavior, brand advocacy and trust.

St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. And St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay.

Since opening in 1962, the research conducted at St. Jude has helped push the survival rates for childhood cancers from 20 percent to 80 percent today. St. Jude has achieved a survival rate of 94 percent for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) the most common form of childhood cancer. Today, St. Jude continues to conduct the breakthrough research that is changing the way some of the deadliest childhood diseases are treated.