Two local hospitals are among those recognized by U.S. News & World Report in it annual "America's Best Hospitals" issue released Friday, July 11.

The magazine ranked Miami Valley Hospital 49th in the nation for orthopedic care, the sixth time Miami Valley has earned a spot on the list of best hospitals. Kettering Medical Center made the list for the fourth time, ranking 38th for endocrinology and 43rd for gastrointestinal disorders.

Miami Valley's ranking is its first for orthopedic care.

"This recognition speaks to an amazing amount of hard work and dedication by our physicians, nurses and hospital leadership to provide the best clinical care available to our patients," said Mary Boosalis, the hospital's president and CEO.

Dr. Greg Wise, Kettering's vice president for medical affairs, attributed his hospital's performance to "exceptional outcomes from a coordinated and dedicated team."

"We have made at least one of the lists three years in a row now, and we have been very diligent in following national best practices to keep our clinical quality high," Wise said.

The 2008 America's Best Hospital Guide ranks 170 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties. The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services.

Of the 170, just 19 were of "Honor Roll" caliber, where a hospital had to achieve high scores in six or more specialties. Top hospitals were Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and the Cleveland Clinic.

In previous years, Miami Valley has ranked in ear, nose and throat and respiratory care, digestive disorders, heart surgery and geriatrics, gynecology, neurology, neurosurgery and rheumatology.

Kettering's past honors were in endocrinology, digestive disorders and cancer care, as well as in neurology and neurosurgery.