Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospitals earned national recognition in all 11 pediatric specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026-27 Best Children's Hospitals rankings. In the report released on September 15, 2026, the three Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital campuses in Salt Lake City, Lehi, and Taylorsville, working in partnership with University of Utah Health, ranked among the nation's best for the third consecutive year.
The hospitals increased the number of specialties ranked among the nation's Top 25 programs from six to seven this year. Pediatric neonatology and cancer joined the Top 25 for the first time. The Top 25 specialties identified in the rankings include Orthopedics at No. 11, Cardiology & Heart Surgery at No. 11, Neurology & Neurosurgery at No. 12, Urology at No. 15, Nephrology at No. 17, Neonatology at No. 19, and Cancer at No. 20.
Additionally, the hospitals earned Top 50 national recognition in four other specialties: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery at No. 27, Diabetes & Endocrinology at No. 30, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery at No. 40, and a Top 50 designation for Behavioral Health.
Mandy Richards, DPN, RN, the Intermountain Health chief nursing executive and president of Intermountain Children's Health, stated that the recognition in all 11 categories reflects the dedication of caregivers and the trust families place in the system. Dustin Lipson, president of Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital, Salt Lake Campus, noted that the collaboration with University of Utah Health physician partners has fueled progress in research and the breadth of services offered to children.
The strong performance reflects a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration among researchers, physicians, and community partners, according to Angelo P. Giardino, MD, chair of the University of Utah School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics and chief medical officer of Intermountain Children's Health. Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system headquartered in Utah that operates 34 hospitals and approximately 400 clinics across six states.
Intermountain Health serves patients from a seven-state region through its campuses in Utah. The system provides specialized care in areas including congenital heart care, neonatal medicine, transplantation, cell and gene therapies, and pediatric surgery.
