Arkansas Children's Ranks as Top Heart and Pulmonology Programs in a 300-Mile Region in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals List

October 07, 2025

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Oct. 7, 2025) – Arkansas Children’s Heart Institute and Pulmonary programs ranked higher than any other health systems in a 300-mile region on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of Best Children’s Hospitals, published today. This is a repeat achievement for the Arkansas Children’s Heart Institute, while the Pulmonary distinction marks a first.

The findings underscore how Arkansas Children’s offers a level of capabilities, resources and expertise that can’t be found elsewhere in the region.

Arkansas Children’s continued an annual streak on the list, with seven pediatric specialties ranked among the best programs in the nation. Six of those service lines were ranked the previous year. The distinctions indicate Arkansas Children’s offers world-class care provided by nationally respected clinical leaders at its hospitals in Little Rock and Springdale and programs and clinics statewide.

Arkansas Children’s Heart Institute landed on the Cardiology & Heart Surgery list, ranking at no. 27, higher than any pediatric heart program in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.

The Pulmonology program marked its third time in the top 30, ranking no. 27 and its 10th consecutive year on the list overall.

Arkansas Children’s Urology program entered the list again this year, scoring its highest-ever ranking at no. 30.

Arkansas Children’s is proud to have the following programs ranked on the 2025/2026 Best Children’s Hospitals list:

Cancer (43)
Cardiology & Heart Surgery (27)
Nephrology (34)
Neurology & Neurosurgery (32)
Orthopedics (50)
Pulmonology & Lung Surgery (27)
Urology (30, highest-ever ranking and a 22-point jump)

“These consistent national rankings are a testament to the enduring compassion and expertise found across Arkansas Children’s,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president & CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “We celebrate the profound dedication of our team and the indispensable support of our community partners. It is through this powerful collaboration that we are confidently improving outcomes and advancing toward our ultimate goal: ensuring Arkansas is the safest and healthiest place to be a child.”

The national rankings reflect contributions from nearly every department in the Arkansas Children’s system, as teams focus on delivering better access, exceptional outcomes and improved on-campus experiences.

The rankings are weighted to emphasize the importance of a health system’s technologies, treatments and outcomes. They also consider the expert opinions of pediatric specialists from across the nation. The 19th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 11 pediatric specialties: behavioral health, cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

Arkansas Children’s also ranked 6th in regional rankings released by U.S. News & World Report today. Arkansas Children’s is ranked within the Southeast Region along with pediatric hospitals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A hospital’s regional ranking status is assessed by evaluating the total number of specialties the hospital was ranked in – better rankings are assigned to hospitals with more nationally ranked service lines.

U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available.

The 2024-2025 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals is posted online at usnews.com/childrenshospitals.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only health care system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 850,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals with 361 licensed beds, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2025-2026): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a Level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates an inpatient unit that will expand in 2026; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

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