Newsweek named nine specialties at UVA Health University Medical Center and UVA Health Children’s to its 2025 lists of America’s Best Specialized Hospitals and America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.
“One of our goals in UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan is to create destination programs that enable residents from across Virginia to receive world-class care close to home,” Dr. Mitchell H. Rosner, interim executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Virginia, said. “These honors from Newsweek highlight the incredible care provided by teams across the medical center.”
The criteria used to assemble the rankings include hospital quality metrics, surveys of specialists in each field and patient-experience surveys.
Here’s where University Medical Center ranks nationally, with seven specialties also rated No. 1 in Virginia:
- America’s best children’s hospitals:
- Gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery: No. 28 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- Endocrinology: No. 29 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- Cardiology and cardiac surgery: No. 32 (No.1 in Virginia)
- America’s best orthopedic hospitals: No. 32 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- America’s best neurological hospitals: No. 41 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- America’s best cancer hospitals: No. 45 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- America’s best cardiac hospitals: No. 45 (No. 1 in Virginia)
- America’s best pulmonary hospitals: No. 73
- America’s best endocrine hospitals: No. 109
“Our team has an incredible commitment to providing the highest-quality care for every patient, every day,” Wendy Horton, chief executive officer of UVA Health University Medical Center, said. “Receiving these honors is a reflection of our team members’ outstanding dedication and expertise.”
ABA honors professor for lifetime of work
School of Law professor emeritus A.E. Dick Howard has received the American Bar Association’s annual Robert J. Kutak Award, honoring an individual “who has made significant contributions to the collaboration of the academy, the bench and the bar,” according to the ABA. The selection committee comprises judges, deans and professors from around the country.
Howard is the Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law Emeritus and an expert on constitutional law, comparative constitutionalism and the U.S. Supreme Court, where he clerked for Justice Hugo L. Black after graduating from law school.
He served as executive director of the commission that rewrote Virginia’s constitution and directed the successful referendum campaign for its ratification. He has been counsel to the General Assembly and a consultant to both state and federal legislative bodies, including the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He also served as counselor to Virginia Gov. Charles Robb from 1982-86 and chaired Virginia’s Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution.
The Virginia General Assembly recognized Howard’s work in public service earlier this year, presenting him with the 2025 Outstanding Virginian Award.
Howard retired from teaching last year after a six-decade career at UVA Law.
Bradshaw recognized with ‘lifetime achievement’ research award
Catherine Bradshaw, University Professor and senior associate dean for research at the School of Education and Human Development, received the 2025 Society for Prevention Research Presidential Award.
According to the organization, the award is intended to be a lifetime achievement award recognizing a significant body of research that has had a major impact on the field of prevention science.
“I’m truly honored to be recognized by SPR with this prestigious Presidential Award,” said Bradshaw, who has served for 12 years as editor of the society’s journal, Prevention Science. “SPR has played a significant role in my career, shaping multiple aspects of my program of research and professional goals.”
Bradshaw studies school-based prevention programs, focused on positive behavioral interventions, supports and strategies that promote social and emotional learning. She has received more than $50 million in research grants during her career and co-directs the National Center for Rural School Mental Health.
“I count myself lucky to get to work so closely with Catherine and to witness her incredible work as a leader and researcher,” Stephanie Rowley, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, said. “Her contributions to this field will be felt by future researchers, educators and – perhaps most importantly – by students for years to come.”
Regional CIO network honors University’s ITS leader
A regional organization of top technology executives from the Washington, D.C., area has named Kelly Doney, UVA’s vice president and chief information officer, the winner of a 2025 ORBIE Award in the Large Enterprise category, for organizations with at least $7 billion in annual revenue.
According to a release, the awards recognize “exceptional leadership and innovation.” Doney topped a group of finalists, including CIOs from Leidos, the U.S. General Services Administration, Peraton, the Virginia Information Technology Agency and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
CapitalCIO is part of the Inspire Leadership Network, a national network of public and private businesses, government, education, health care and nonprofit institutions. Finalists and winners for the ORBIE Awards were selected by a panel of prior recipients. Winners of the CapitalCIO awards advance to the National ORBIE Awards.
Under Doney’s leadership, UVA Information Technology Services has launched a multi-year ITS Strategic Plan, introduced its “ITS Culture Foundations,” and closely aligned its work with the mission and priorities of the University.
WTJU rakes in honors from two organizations
WTJU, the University’s community radio station, won four national Hometown Media Awards in the community radio category from the Alliance for Community Media, the alliance announced June 25.
That news came on the heels of two honors the station earned for the Virginia Association of Broadcasters.
The winning Alliance for Community Media entries were:
Original Film/Drama: “She Wrote Plays: A Woman’s Honor.” WTJU and UVA’s Drama Department collaborated to produce new takes on works from a century ago by forgotten women playwrights. With support from a UVA Faculty Research Grant for the Arts, Lewis Reining and UVA Drama professor Doug Grissom led the project, with students involved as actors, directors and editors.
Entertainment & Arts Series: “Arts This Week,” which features short interviews with local artists and arts leaders in the community. With funding support from UVA’s Arts Council, Sage Tanguay coordinates the weekly segment, with production by Ben Larsen, Coco Ahn and summer interns.
Documentary: “Sister Revolutions: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” a public history documentary exploring the legacy of the American and French revolutions through the sister city relationship between Charlottesville and Besançon, France. It was produced and hosted by Tanguay and UVA postdoctoral fellow Benjamin Bernard.
Local Performance: “Ramona & The Holy Smokes” delivered a live performance during WTJU’s 2025 Folk Marathon, produced by Ben Larsen and colleagues.
Earlier, the Virginia Association of Broadcasters bestowed two awards upon WTJU at its annual convention. “Late Night With Ike” was a winner in the Best Radio Personality category, and the “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” episode of “Sister Revolutions” earned the award for Best Documentary.
“Late Night With Ike” airs Thursdays from 9 to 11 p.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM. “Sister Revolutions” can be found via the Virginia Audio Collective or anywhere you stream podcasts.
“We have a fantastic team at WTJU,” General Manager Nathan Moore said. “We make radio and podcasts because we love serving our community, but it always feels really good to be recognized by our peers in broadcasting.”
UVA Health again lands on ‘America’s Best Maternity Hospitals’ list
Newsweek honored UVA Health University Medical Center on its list of “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals,” spotlighting its high-quality care of mothers and newborns.
Newsweek recognized the hospital for the sixth consecutive year as one of the nation’s best places to receive pregnancy care, deliver a baby, and provide care and support for families once a baby is born. In 2024, 2,415 babies were delivered at UVA Health University Medical Center.
UVA Health University Medical Center was among just 182 hospitals nationally to earn the publication’s highest rating – five ribbons – for maternity care.
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