Primary Children's Hospital named one of the best hospitals in the US

SALT LAKE CITY — Like many of her colleagues at Primary Children's Hospital, Rachelle Rigby was not surprised when she heard that the national publication U.S. News & World Report named her hospital one of the best for children in the country.

"It's a special place. ... Kids are the best, and I get to work with the most caring people," said the nurse manager. "We are all here to take care of patients and their families. We're very blessed to work at Primary Children's Hospital."

Each year, U.S. News ranks children's hospitals against the 287 that are presently spread across the nation. Along with a general ranking, the staff also ranks the hospitals along 11 separate disciplines such as pediatric oncology, pediatric cardiology, diabetes and endocrinology and more.

This week, the magazine presented its rankings, with some departments celebrating this achievement. The staff could see Primary Children's ranking in at least the top 16% in the nation for each of the 11 categories. Only a few hospitals — all located in major cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest, such as Philadelphia, Columbus and Boston — also ranked in all categories.

"To be honored in all 11 categories ... it's a tremendous honor," said Dustin Lipson, president of Primary Children's Hospital. "Doctors, nurses, therapists, ancillary staff ... it's a team effort to get those kinds of results."

And the results speak for themselves. Nearly 4,000 employees work for Primary Children's Salt Lake City site, but the hospital also provides care across six Mountain West states. Staff assists children and their families from each of the 50 states who need anything from heart surgery to orthopedics. The system also commits to providing full-time staffing for expressive therapy programs, such as play therapy and child life specialists, who assist families with the medical, social and emotional process of dealing with an illness.

These are rare finds in children's hospitals across the country. U.S. News & World Report awarded Primary Children's Hospital for having such uncustomary practices in its spaces, as well as the results the staff achieves.

"I'm proud to work here," said Katie Lahue, the expressive therapist manager. "It's so validating to know we're part of this recognition. And it's because, at this hospital, you don't feel like there are more important people than you in the building. I'm not surprised by this recognition. You feel how special this place is when you walk in the building."

Rigby says she understands the uniqueness of the hospital for children and their families. Her younger sister was a patient at Primary Children's years ago. Several employees at Primary Children's have either been patients or relatives of past patients through the years. The quality of the care they or their loved ones received stayed with them for so long that when it was time to choose a career path or where to work, they knew where to go.

They say they wanted to be a part of providing care and services they could not receive elsewhere,

"As a teenager, I so looked up to those doctors and nurses taking care of my sister," Rigby said. "When it was time for me to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to work, I knew. I knew I work in nursing and that I would work at Primary Children's ... it really is about the care we give."

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