Last year St. Jude Medical Center was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's highest performing hospitals in three specialties, including a ranking of #43 in the country in orthopedics. Earning a top 50 national ranking in any specialty was an honor earned by only 165 U.S. hospitals, placing St. Jude among an elite group.

How are those rankings achieved? And how does your vote play a role?

St. Jude earned its impressive ranking purely on quality and outcomes, but there is another important factor that weighs significantly. Expert opinion (physician votes) accounts for 27 percent of each hospital's overall score—and is determined by physician votes. According to US News & World Report's hospital rankings 2019-2020 methodology report, four of the specialty rankings (ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation and rheumatology) rely solely on expert opinion. Twelve of the specialty rankings are based on data-driven analysis of performance in three categories: the institution's structure, process and outcomes.

Voting is done by online survey of physicians registered with Doximity. Board-certified physicians are asked to nominate the hospitals in their specific field—without consideration of expense or location—they consider best for patients. Physicians can list as many as five hospitals.

Your vote truly matters. If you are not registered on Doximity, you won't be able to participate in the 2020 survey, but please register now for the 2021 survey. SIGN UP NOW

If you are a member of Doximity, you'll receive an initial email invitation in February – March with a link to the survey. Physicians receive one follow-up email reminder.

Please check:

• § Your inbox (and junk mail) for emails from Doximity and complete the survey prior to the March deadline.

• § Look for an e-mail from support@doximity.com, with a subject line along the lines of "Request: Nominations in (Specialty) for U.S. News Best Hospitals". (The specialty name will change based on the physician's eligible.) During the survey period, survey-eligible members will see a notification on the home page when they login to the Doximity website or app.

In 2019-20, St. Jude was recognized in neurology & neurosurgery, pulmonary & lung surgery, and orthopedics, but there are a number of other specialties in which our physicians and surgeons are creating superior outcomes and standard-setting care.