U.S. News & World Report names AdventHealth for Children among Best Children’s Hospitals

Orlando, Fla. Oct. 7, 2025 – AdventHealth for Children has been recognized as a 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings assist parents and caregivers, along with their physicians, in navigating the challenges of finding the best possible care for children with serious illnesses or complex medical needs.

AdventHealth for Children ranked among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the nation for the eighth year in a row. The health system also ranked as one of the best neonatology programs in the U.S. for the eighth year in a row, and the best pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery program in Central Florda.

Caring for the smallest and most clinically complex infants, the NICU at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando is also home to the Little Miracles Unit, where babies born as early as 22 weeks are cared for by a specially trained team.

“This recognition is a reflection of the extraordinary dedication and compassion of our entire team at AdventHealth for Children that works tirelessly to bring whole-person care to our youngest patients. Every child we care for inspires us to do more, to be better, and to bring hope and healing to families when they need it most,” said Kristi Baker, senior executive officer of AdventHealth for Children. “We are deeply honored to be trusted with such precious lives.”

For the 2025-2026 rankings, U.S. News, together with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm, collected and analyzed data from 118 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. Children’s hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, compliance with established best practices, and level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care.

“Being a top-ranked pediatric hospital means more than just excelling in a single specialty — it means being a pillar of outstanding care for your entire region,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Our rankings acknowledge these hospitals for their comprehensive excellence, helping families find the very best care conveniently located within their state and community.”

The full rankings for the 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospitals national, regional/state and specialty rankings can be found at USNews.com.

About AdventHealth for Children

AdventHealth for Children is a nationally recognized children’s hospital and network of pediatric specialists, programs and care facilities that sets the standard for innovation, quality and comprehensive care. The flagship hospital in Orlando is home to the Walt Disney Pavilion, which features Disney best practices, theming, characters and activities to make a stay in the hospital more comfortable and less stressful for young patients and their families.   

The AdventHealth for Children care network includes more than 250 pediatricians and pediatric specialists caring for nearly 200,000 children annually across community specialty clinics, pediatric rehabilitation, pediatric emergency rooms and Centra Care Kids urgent care.    

AdventHealth for Children is one of the nation’s best and safest children’s hospitals, ranked as a Top Children’s Hospital by the Leapfrog Group, a three-time gold standard Magnet designated hospital by the ANCC, and recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a national leader in pediatric and newborn care. 

Among AdventHealth for Children’s clinical areas of focus:  

• The only pediatric liver transplant program in Central Florida, in partnership with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh 
• The Southeast’s only lifespan Down syndrome clinic caring for children and adults 
• Florida’s only multidisciplinary pediatric head and neck program 
• Level IV NICU offering the highest level of care available to neonatal babies, ranked a national leader in newborn care by U.S. News & World Report eight years in a row 
• Central Florida's best pediatric gastroenterology & GI surgery program
• 23 pediatric-friendly ER locations caring for the most kids in Central Florida 

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.