Children’s of Alabama Recognized Among Nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals for 2026-2027

Birmingham, Ala. (Sept. 15, 2026) — For the 17th consecutive year, Children’s of Alabama has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the top hospital for children in Alabama and among the nation’s leading pediatric medical centers.

In the 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings, Children’s earned national recognition in eight pediatric specialties: Cancer; Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Gastroenterology & Gastroenterology Surgery; Nephrology; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Orthopedics; Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. Both the Cancer and Neurology & Neurosurgery programs earned No. 25 rankings, placing them among the nation's top 25 programs in their specialties.

“This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care for every child and family we serve,” said Tom Shufflebarger, president and CEO of Children’s of Alabama. “Being ranked among the nation’s best for 17 consecutive years is a testament to the expertise, compassion, and dedication of our physicians, nurses, and team members, as well as our longstanding partnership with the UAB School of Medicine. We are honored by this distinction and remain focused on advancing pediatric care for the children of Alabama and beyond.”

Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery collaborated to submit data for the rankings. Children’s serves as the primary teaching hospital for pediatric clinical and educational programs for the UAB School of Medicine.

U.S. News & World Report introduced its Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families identify hospitals that provide the highest level of pediatric care. The rankings evaluate nearly 200 pediatric medical centers nationwide using measures that include clinical outcomes, patient safety, infection prevention, nursing resources, and expert opinion from thousands of pediatric specialists.