Cook Children’s Shines in Debut of Rankings for Behavioral Health
By Jean Yaeger
In the first U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation’s best in pediatric Behavioral Health, Cook Children’s made the Top 50 list thanks in part to a collaborative effort across our organization.
Nineteen employees worked with our Information Technology and Quality Performance Improvement (QPI) teams to collect and report data on behalf of Behavioral Health. They represented Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Neighborhood Clinics, Social Work and more.
Danny Peltier, practice manager at Outpatient Psychiatry, led the committee. The process was time-consuming but rewarding because it encompassed the wide array of services at Cook Children’s.
“Seeing it on spreadsheets in front of you is kind of remarkable,” Danny said.
Behavioral Health is one of seven gold badges Cook Children’s earned in the 2024-2025 rankings, released Oct. 8. Badges were also awarded to our Cancer, Cardiology, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, and Pulmonology and Lung Surgery departments.
How are these rankings determined? U.S. News gathers data from almost 200 pediatric medical centers across the country. Each specialty’s score comes in part from its safety record, advanced technologies and other specialty specific measures.
The latest round of rankings was the first to include the Behavioral Health category. Cook Children’s made the Top 50, an honor that recognizes the high-quality resources and dedicated professionals who work in Behavioral Health across our system.
Kudos to our Behavioral Health employees and leaders! Here’s a closer look their impressive achievement.
Coming Together
First, some background. Behavioral Health addresses psychological and psychiatric needs such as anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Cook Children’s offers:
· Diagnostic testing and evaluation
· Outpatient therapy and counseling
· Inpatient hospitalization
· Medication management
· Family support groups
Marsha Gabriel, Ph.D. Neuropsychology, said filling out the U.S. News survey required some out-of-the-box thinking. Because many areas at Cook Children’s have a Behavioral Health component, the information isn’t centralized. Committee members had to tap their contacts and think creatively in order to track down answers to questions the survey posed.
“One thing I saw going on was that everybody really cares about the needs of the patients,” Marsha said. “There’s a deep desire to do better and to meet needs -- to maybe start a new resource or use the resources we have to our best advantage.”
Even though the Behavioral Health cohort came from various departments, they pooled their expertise and worked collectively.
“It was neat to hear them say, ‘At the Child Study Center we do this,’ and ‘At the neighborhood clinics we do this.’ So how do we want to answer these questions as a group?’ said Cook Children’s QPI specialist Kim Kimberling, who helped collect and verify data ahead of the rankings. “You could really see their wheels turning and working together.”
As they moved through the survey, the committee members came across new ideas that sparked dialogue.
“I’m not sure we’re 100 percent actionable on some of those things,” said Matt Robison, LMSW, AVP and executive director of the Child Study Center at Cook Children’s. “But if U.S. News is asking this question, then someone is likely doing that, so is there a mechanism for us? Could we put into place here as well?”
What stood out during the process, he said, was how much Cook Children’s provides across the board in Behavioral Health services.
“The best part was seeing how much is being done at a system-wide level,” Matt said. “It’s all-encompassing from a diagnostic perspective just how much work goes into trying to provide a really good patient experience.”
