In its latest update, U.S. News & World Report announced that beginning in the next edition of the Best Hospitals rankings, risk-adjusted outcome measures will carry substantially more weight—including survival, discharge to home, and prevention of outpatient procedural complications. Exact weights are forthcoming, but the direction is clear: risk-adjusted outcomes will dominate the rankings moving forward.
This shift is driven by the retirement of AHA-sourced structural measures such as ICU intensivist counts, nurse staffing inputs, and technology availability. These measures historically influenced 15–22% of specialty rankings but will no longer be used, reshaping how hospitals are compared.
In this new environment, understanding—and improving—your true outcome performance has never mattered more.
Why This Matters: The New Competitive Reality
For years, health systems have relied on structural advantages—service line depth, technology investments, ICU staffing—to support their U.S. News ranking profiles. But U.S. News made its stance clear: What matters moving forward is actual patient outcomes and patient experience.
According to the announcement:
“The specialty rankings will assign greater weight to risk-adjusted outcome measures… including Survival, Patients Discharged Home, and Prevention of Outpatient Procedural Complications.”
These changes will create:
- Winners: systems with strong underlying quality and documentation rigor
- Losers: systems whose past rankings relied heavily on structural AHA data
- Visibility gaps: health systems unsure where they stand under the new rules
Where Tendo Can Help: Clear Insight in a Time of Uncertainty
Tendo anticipated these shifts long before they were publicly announced. Our team has a deep understanding of how these changes could impact individual hospitals and specialties.
Tendo’s “What-If” Scenario Modeling Provides:
- Evaluate the impact of the removal of AHA data
- Projected changes in survival and other outcomes based on industry benchmarks
- Specialty-by-specialty risk exposure analysis
- Guidance on which measures drive the most meaningful improvement
Unlike internal analytics or generic consulting snapshots, Tendo’s modeling is:
- Grounded in a deep understanding of U.S. News methodologies
- Backed by unique access to outcome datasets (including 30-day mortality) unavailable to most hospitals
- Designed to be immediately actionable, not theoretical
Tendo’s output is data-rich, fast, and operationally meaningful.
Why It’s Critical to Act Now
Hospitals typically enter “peak conversation” with U.S. News in October and November, when methodology considerations for the next cycle crystallize. Acting now allows leaders to:
- Understand vulnerabilities
- Strengthen performance in the highest-impact domains
- Reframe success measures for boards and executive teams
- Prepare for potential rank shifts before they become public
Waiting until the methodology is finalized means missing the window to influence or prepare.
Meet Beth Godsey: Your Guide Through the Coming Changes
This is not a moment for guesswork. It’s a moment for experience. Tendo has partnered with one of the most influential leaders in hospital ranking science.
Beth Godsey, Data & Analytics Insights Consultant at Tendo, brings:
- 20+ years in healthcare analytics
- Former SVP of Data Science & Methodology at Vizient
- Leadership in creating the Vizient Quality and Accountability Ranking, the Vizient Clinical Data Base (CDB), and the patent pending Vizient Vulnerability Index
- A career blending strategy, methodology, and technology to drive measurable improvement in patient outcomes and health system performance
Few people understand ranking methodologies—and how they evolve—better than Beth. Paired with our underlying technology, we can guide you on a path to improvement.
The Bottom Line
U.S. News is making a decisive pivot toward what truly matters: How well hospitals care for patients.
Hospitals that understand and invest in outcome measurement, documentation integrity, and risk-adjusted performance will thrive. Those who wait will be reacting to results rather than shaping them.
Tendo can help you stay ahead of the curve—before the curve reshapes your ranking.
U.S. News & World Report is a registered trademark of U.S. News & World Report, L.P. Tendo is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. News & World Report.
Book a Strategy Session with Beth
Transform uncertainty into strategic advantage. Get clarity on how these changes impact your organization—and what to do next.
In your session, you’ll receive:
- A customized “what-if” analysis of your ranking exposure
- Expert guidance on how to prepare and strengthen your position
