King Faisal Hospital earns nine Newsweek specialty rankings

King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh has been included in Newsweek’s 2027 rankings for nine medical specialties, mbl.is reported. The hospital’s chief executive, Björn Zoëga, said the recognition reflects improvements in quality and patient services, as well as greater openness to sharing expertise.

Newsweek’s rankings assess specialties within hospitals rather than rating each hospital as a whole. Zoëga said the magazine reviews between 8,000 and 12,000 hospitals worldwide. This year, it assessed 13 specialties, with rankings placing hospitals among the top 150 or top 250 in each field.

When Zoëga took charge of King Faisal, the hospital had not appeared on any of the lists then published. It made one list last year and nine of the 13 this year, making it a leading hospital in the Middle East in these rankings, he said.

Zoëga said the hospital had worked to improve quality and services while sharing its work with others and welcoming outside knowledge. He previously worked at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, where he said appearing on such lists was recognition that a hospital’s specialist services were working well alongside its broader responsibilities.

Newsweek interviewed Zoëga on 22 September about his experience managing healthcare organisations and what makes an outstanding hospital. He also took part in a panel discussion on hospital operations.

Newsweek is due to publish its “World’s Smartest Hospitals” list at the end of October. Zoëga said the ranking considers how hospitals use technology and data to plan services, rather than simply whether they have the newest equipment.