When your child is feeling sick, you want them to receive the best care possible. Fortunately, you don’t have to go far—or even leave New Jersey—to find it. Recently, RWJBarnabas Health Children’s Health hospitals were ranked by US News & World Report as among the best hospitals in the country for kids, with Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital named the #1 Children’s Hospital in New Jersey and earning the coveted gold badges for being the best for three of its pediatric specialties. Read on to find out why RJWBarnabas Children’s Health hospitals are among the country’s best, and how they are helping families statewide get the best and most advanced care. (featured photo credit: istock/SDI Productions)
Gold Badges for Pediatric Specialties
The three pediatric specialties earning the prestigious ‘gold badges’ are Pediatric Urology, Pediatric Nephrology, and Pediatric Behavioral & Mental Health. This is the fourth consecutive time that urology has been nationally ranked and the first-ever gold badges for nephrology and behavioral health. “These rankings send a simple and clear message to families across New Jersey that the specialized care their children deserve is being delivered across RWJBarnabas Health,” said Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health. “Further, they are the result of the dedication of our network of world-class pediatric doctors and nurses, and a broad team who treat every child as they would their own.”
New Jersey’s largest and only network of pediatric care
RWJBarnabas Health provides New Jersey’s largest and only network of pediatric academic care with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. It also includes the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel, Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, the McMullen Children’s Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. Within this network is Children’s Specialized Hospital, the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 facing special health challenges—from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities to a full scope of developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns. “This recognition underscores our commitment to providing children and families across New Jersey with access to exceptional pediatric care,” said William Faverzani, Senior Vice President, Children’s Services, RWJBarnabas Health. “We are proud to continue advancing our programs and expanding access to high-quality, specialized care across our network.”
About the rankings
For the 2026-2027 rankings, US News, together with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm, collected and analyzed data from 114 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. Children’s hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled in clinical outcomes, compliance with established best practices, and the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care.
RWJBarnabas Health: A leader in healthcare in New Jersey
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations. RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered, compassionate care and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless, and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable. RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center- and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year.
The full 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings are available at USNews.com. For more information, explore #BestChildrensHospitals on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, and X.
Learn more at RWJBarnabas Children’s Health and visit RWJBarnabas Health
