When your child needs medical care, you want the best. You want physicians, researchers, nurses and child-life specialists who are focused only on kids. You want hospitals with nationally recognized expertise in multiple specialties.
You want pediatric experts driving the latest innovations in pediatric care and offering pediatric clinical trials. Experts who offer specialized pediatric care in an environment that makes your child feel comfortable during treatment.
Because no matter the illness, your child is still a child — one who needs to laugh and feel cared for, especially during a potentially scary time. You’ll find all of this and more at our four University of California Health children’s hospitals.
How Academic Medicine Improves Your Child's Care
You can expect better outcomes when your child’s treatment team includes physicians and other clinicians who have training specifically in pediatric specialties. And, because our hospitals are also academic medical centers, our clinicians stay on top of the latest innovations. In fact, they are often involved in developing new treatments and breakthrough research.
At UCH, we care for tens of thousands of children each year. This means more experience, which means quality care and better outcomes.
Our doctors know that children can't be treated as small adults. All our equipment is kid-sized, and we know the protocols that work best for children. For example, our patients benefit from lower doses of radiation and anesthesia administered by pediatric specialists who stay on top of the most innovative treatments.
Leading California — and the Nation
University of California Health children’s hospitals are leaders in quality care. Again in its 2022-2023 ratings, U.S. News & World Report ranks all UC children’s hospitals as among the best in the state and the nation.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
#8 in California
#8 in Pacific Region
National Rankings
#19 in Pediatric Nephrology
#19 in Pediatric Orthopedics
#29 in Neonatology
#35 in Pediatric Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#47 in Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital
#5 in California (tie)
#6 in Pacific Region (tie)
National Rankings
#11 in Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#13 in Pediatric Nephrology
#14 in Pediatric Orthopedics
#20 in Neonatology
#28 in Pediatric Urology
#30 in Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery
#39 in Pediatric Cancer
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
#3 in California (tie)
#3 in Pacific Region (tie)
National Rankings
#5 in Neonatology
#13 in Pediatric Nephrology
#16 in Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery
#17 in Pediatric Cancer
#23 in Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
#23 in Pediatric Urology
#24 Pediatric Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
#27 in Pediatric Orthopedics
#29 Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology
#41 Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Our Children’s Hospitals
Care from a comprehensive team of highly trained board-certified pediatric specialists, nurses, technicians and therapists is vital to ensure the right treatment from the start. This is the work we dedicate our lives to.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital
UC Davis Children’s Hospital provides care for children in 33 counties, covering 65,000 square miles, with 2,640 transfers accepted from referring institutions. It includes the Central Valley's only Level I pediatric trauma center, the highest level of care for critically ill children. It is also home to the first Level I children's surgery center on the West Coast, as verified by the American College of Surgeons.
UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital facilities are designed to serve the most critically ill children with sophisticated, compassionate care in a welcoming and healing environment. Our hospital is home to the first-of-its-kind Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, among other innovative child-focused programs and research.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
We offer specialty care for children at our two main campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, as well as satellite locations throughout Northern California. Our pediatric programs consistently rank among the nation's best across 10 specialties in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking.
Our Academic Health Centers
Our children’s hospitals are an extension of the quality care and expertise we offer to all our patients at our six academic health centers. Our pediatric patients benefit from the collaboration and research that is shared across the University of California Health system. Like our children’s hospitals, our academic health centers are among the best in California — and the nation.
Explore how our six academic health centers provide quality care across California