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The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center were jointly ranked No. 13 in U.S. News and World Reports’ 2021-2022 list of the best hospitals in the country and the best in both the Philadelphia area and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Credit: Kylie Cooper

The joint enterprise of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center was ranked No. 13 in U.S. News and World Reports’ 2021-2022 list of the best hospitals in the country — up two places from last year.

The hospitals were also jointly ranked as the best in both the Philadelphia area and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

HUP and Penn Presbyterian together are one of only 20 hospitals to be featured on U.S. News’ Best Hospitals in America Honor Roll this year and are the only hospitals in Pennsylvania to be on the list.

The rankings scored hospitals on two sets of criteria, according to U.S. News. The first are 17 general procedures, such as knee replacements and heart bypass surgeries. The second metric is the evaluation of 15 areas of complex specialty care. Hospitals with multiple high rankings in specialties and high achievement in general procedures received more points in the ranking.

HUP and Penn Presbyterian ranked in the top 50 national rankings in 12 out of the 15 specialty areas. Among these, they ranked No. 6 for Ear, Nose & Throat care, No. 8 for Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and No. 10 for Cancer care. 

Three other Penn-affiliated hospitals were also honored in U.S. News’ rankings. Lancaster General Hospital was nationally ranked in both Orthopedics and Urology and was lauded as the fourth-best in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Hospital was ranked No. 11 in Pennsylvania, and fourth in the Philadelphia region. Chester County Hospital was ranked No. 14 in Pennsylvania and eighth in Philadelphia.

This news comes in a year when researchers with Penn Medicine developed a rapid COVID-19 test with 90% accuracy, succeeded with an experimental therapy to reverse blindness, and created an odor test that can quickly detect cancers.

In June, U.S. News announced that the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania maintained its No. 2 national ranking from 2019-2020 and ranked No. 1 in pediatric cancer treatment, pediatric diabetes and endocrinology, and pediatric orthopedics.

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When suspects’ names appear in crime stories, their lives may be broken and never put back together.

For years, people have begged the Associated Press to scrub their indiscretions from its archives. Some of those requests “were heart-rending,” said John Daniszewski, standards VP at AP who helped to spearhead the worldwide news service’s new policy, announced in June.

[Read: Is unpublishing old crime stories Orwellian or empathetic? The Boston Globe is offering past story subjects a “fresh start”]

Acknowledging that journalism can inflict wounds unnecessarily, AP will no longer name those arrested for minor crimes when the news service is unlikely to cover the story’s subsequent developments. Often, such stories’ publication hinges on an odd or entertaining quirk, and the names are irrelevant. Yet the ramifications can loom large and be long-lasting for the people named.

How much detail American reporters include in a crime story depends on how newsworthy it is, our research found. A minor story might be based solely on a police incident report. A big story can include interviews with acquaintances and deep probes into the person’s past. Whether the story is big or small, most accounts include full identification of the accused in the American press.

“I received a very moving letter from a man who, as a college student, had been involved in a financial crime,” Daniszewski recalled in an interview with us, both media ethics scholars. When an old news account of the incident surfaced, the young man lost friends. Even his upcoming marriage was jeopardized until he could persuade his fiancée and her family that he had learned from his experience and was not an incorrigible villain.

For others, stories of their alleged crimes showed up on Google searches 10 or 15 years after the incident, even if they were never convicted or courts had expunged the criminal record. Daniszewski said many people making requests to the AP had been arrested for minor drug offenses, such as small amounts of marijuana, but stories about those offenses were blocking them from getting jobs, renting apartments and even meeting people on dating apps.

Culture shift

The Associated Press, the largest American news agency, was founded in 1846. It is a cooperative enterprise whose members include most mainstream American news outlets and many in other countries.

AP’s new policy signals a shift in U.S. politics and culture. It takes a small step away from the traditional “tell-all” practice of American crime reporting. It embraces a bit of the empathy toward wrongdoers shown by reporters in some European countries.

We interviewed nearly 200 reporters and media experts in 10 countries in Western Europe and North America for our book, “Murder in Our Midst: Comparing Crime Coverage Ethics in an Age of Globalized News.” We uncovered significant differences in journalism practices, despite the similarities in these countries’ democratic institutions and values.

German, Dutch and Swedish press council ethics codes encourage protecting the identity of both suspects and those convicted. These codes are largely voluntary and allow each news outlet to make case-by-case decisions, but their default practice is not to identify.

In those countries, journalists withhold the full names of those arrested or even convicted of crimes except in some cases of public figures or crimes of particular public concern. Instead, news accounts carry just initials or a first name and last initial to shield that person from publicity.

Since 1973, German courts have mandated that news reports refrain from identifying inmates as their prison release draws near to allow for their “resocialization” and “right to personality” or reputation.

Irreparable harm

When we asked an editor at ANP, the Netherlands’ counterpart to the AP, why her staff routinely withheld names, she paused, then said: “What if he had children? They did nothing wrong,” yet they would be irreparably harmed by being tagged as a criminal’s offspring.

While German, Dutch and Swedish reporters expressed similar concern for families, they also said they wanted to preserve the presumption of innocence for those merely accused and the ability to resume a productive life for those who were convicted.

When the Dutch editor learned how many deeply personal details American reporters routinely publish about those arrested, she gasped at what she saw as cruel and unethical. “Why would you do that to someone?” she asked.

Most American reporters we interviewed regretted the harm such revelations caused but saw the practice as collateral damage. In their eyes, their first obligation is acting as a watchdog on police and government. They believe the public has the right to public information, and police should never be trusted with the power to make undisclosed arrests. That commitment runs much deeper in the U.S. than it does in the Netherlands. For the most part, “we trust our government,” said one official of the Dutch union of journalists.

Watchdog ethics loom large at the AP, Daniszewski told us. However — as we found in research for our book — journalism ethics and practices are rooted in culture. And the American zeitgeist around the criminal justice is shifting, Daniszewski said.

In 2018, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer began considering petitions to remove some stories from its archives. The Boston Globe’s Fresh Start initiative made a similar move this year. These are small steps when compared with the European Union’s guarantee that citizens have a “right to be forgotten” by having at least some humiliating stories removed from search engine archives.

Public figures

Journalists in all 10 countries we researched agreed that the public needs to know when politicians are accused of crimes tied to their official duties.

When a politician or celebrity is alleged to have committed major crime, like a hit-and-run accident, the press should name names, most journalists in our sample agreed. The press must also pin blame, journalists said, when political crimes affect public welfare.

However, Dutch reporters and others often turn a blind eye when celebrities or political officials are accused of domestic violence or sexual harassment, which they consider private indiscretions. American reporters are more likely to consider such accusations news.

Private individuals committing crimes, even major crimes, are rarely identified in mainstream news accounts in the Netherlands, Sweden or Germany, despite those names being on the public record with the potential to be revealed by tabloids and websites. One reason: “We believe everyone deserves a second chance,” said Thomas Bruning, head of the Dutch journalists union.

Is a similar sentiment catching hold in the United States?

The U.S. incarcerates felons in places we call “penitentiaries,” Daniszewski said — that is, places for repentance. The term might imply forgiveness could follow, but in fact felons are stigmatized for life, he said.

The AP will never sugarcoat accounts of serious crime nor whitewash public corruption, he vowed. But speaking of the AP’s new policy, he said, “We thought if we could do less harm and give people second chances, it would be for the good.”

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Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage has been regionally recognized as a Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report — the only one in the Coachella Valley to do so.

Eisenhower ranked second in the Inland Empire and No. 21 in California.  Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda was named the Best Regional Hospital in the Inland Empire, while UCLA Medical Center earned the top spot in California. 

The Rancho Mirage hospital also received a “high performing” rating in 14 types of procedures and conditions: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, back surgery (spinal fusion), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, hip replacement, kidney failure, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery, pneumonia and stroke.

“Each day, our dedicated physicians, nurses and staff provide our community accessible, world-class treatment of serious and complex health conditions,” said Martin Massiello, president and chief executive officer, in a statement. “To be ranked, once again, among America’s Best Hospitals reflects that continued commitment to safe, compassionate care and the level of excellence our community has come to expect from Eisenhower Health.”

There were 531 hospitals that made it on the Best Regional Hospitals ranking, down from 563 last year, according to the U.S. News & World Report website. 

The Best Hospitals rankings and ratings are meant to help patients and doctors decide where they can receive the best care. Measures such as risk-adjusted survival and discharge-to-home rates, volume and quality of nursing are used to determine ratings for procedures and conditions.

Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs was also recognized by U.S. News & World Report as as a “high performing” hospital for five procedures and conditions.

For more information about the 2021-22 rankings and ratings, visit https://health.usnews.com/health-care/best-hospitals/articles/faq-how-and-why-we-rank-and-rate-hospitals#common-care.

Ema Sasic covers health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

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LGH is nationally ranked in urology and orthopedics, ranks 4th among Pennsylvania hospitals, and first among Lancaster County hospitals in the annual report.

LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster General Hospital announced it has earned national and statewide recognition from U.S. News & World Report and its Best Hospitals rankings for 2021-22.

The hospital, which is part of University of Pennsylvania Health System, is nationally ranked in two medical specialties of Urology and Orthopedics, ranked fourth among Pennsylvania hospitals, and ranked first in Lancaster County, LGH said.

Additionally, LGH earned “high performing” rankings in five medical specialties. 

This is the highest state ranking that LGH has ever received from U.S. News & World Report, the hospital said.

In addition, the  Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is ranked 13th in the nation, and ranked as the top hospital in Pennsylvania.

“After one of our most challenging years, this national recognition affirms the dedication of our exceptional physicians and staff, who provide safe, quality, compassionate care to every one of our patients,” said John J. Herman, CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “Of the more than 4,750 medical centers nationwide evaluated, only 175 hospitals earned a national ranking in at least one specialty, making our honors in two specialties even more significant.”

LGH ranked among the nation’s top-ranked hospitals in the specialties of Urology (36th) and Orthopedics (48th tie). 

In addition to the national rankings in Urology and Orthopedics, LGH earned national, “high performing” rankings in five specialties: Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery.

LGH also rated as “high performing” in 16 Common Adult Procedures and Conditions, including, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, back surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), colon cancer surgery, diabetes, heart attack, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip fracture, hip replacement, kidney failure, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery, and stroke.

The annual U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings recognize hospitals that excel in treating patients. The report strives to identify hospitals that provide high-quality care for complicated illnesses and for common care. It bases the rankings on factors including patient outcomes, nurse staffing levels and surveys of physicians.

The complete rankings as well as the U.S. News & World Report methodology can be found at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.

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CANTON – In the latest U.S. News & World Report hospital rankings released today, Aultman Hospital tied for 11th in the state and received high marks on 12 of 17 procedures the publication analyzed.

“It’s an honor for Aultman to be consistently ranked among the best hospitals in Ohio, and it’s a testament to the highest quality of care we continually strive to provide,” Anne Gunther, the chief operating officer of the Aultman Healthcare Delivery System, said in a prepared statement.

She added that especially after more than a year of the pandemic, the hospital remains committed to the highest standards and best patient experience for its community.

More:Aultman’s new emergency medical residency trains next generation of docs

More:Haines: Aultman intends to stay the course as independent community health care leader

The hospital received the rating of “high performing” for 12 procedures, including knee replacement, hip replacement, heart bypass and treatment of colon cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart attack. For the five non-high performing procedures, the hospital received a rating of “average.”

Aultman Hospital dropped one spot from 10th in the 2020 rankings, leapfrogged by ProMedica Toledo Hospital.

The hospital was tied at 11th with Kettering Health Main Campus near Dayton.

Cleveland Clinic ranked first in the state followed by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

Aultman is undergoing a leadership transition with new president and CEO Rick Haines taking charge of the hospital system earlier this month, as it faces mounting competition in the region from Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.

“It’s extremely important to remain independent for the benefit (of) our community,” the new CEO told the Repository.

The U.S. News hospital and procedure rankings are based on several factors such as the number of nursing staff, expert surveys and data on patient outcomes.

Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, which ranked 17th in Ohio in the 2020 edition of the rankings, was not one of the 19 Ohio hospitals ranked this year.

To be regionally ranked in the 2021 edition, a hospital needed to have at least 100 beds, certain technological capacity and be rated as high performing in at least six of 17 procedures, Ben Harder, the chief of health analysis at U.S. News, said in an email.

Last year a hospital only needed to be rated as high performing in three procedures. The increase came after U.S. News added several procedures like heart attack and stroke to the analysis.

Mercy Hospital was rated as high performing in three old procedures and two of the newly added ones, falling just shy of eligibility, Harder said.

Dr. Timothy Crone, the president of Mercy Hospital, said in a prepared statement that the hospital is still working to integrate with Cleveland Clinic’s safety reporting, electronic records and management systems after the merger earlier this year.

“Those systems will support our safety-focused culture and allow us to better serve our patients, and over time will impact the rolling multi-year average of our U.S. News scores,” he said.

More:“Win-win:” A look at the Cleveland Clinic acquisition of Mercy Medical

Aultman Alliance Hospital was also unranked.

Cleveland Clinic ranked second in the nation just behind Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston rounded out the country’s top five.

In neighboring Summit County, Cleveland Clinic Akron General placed seventh in Ohio and Summa Akron City Hospital tied for 14th. Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital ranked 19th in the state.

To read all the rankings, go to: https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings.

Reach Alexander at 330-580-8342 or at amthompson@gannett.com.

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Johns Hopkins was named the best hospital for rheumatology for the fourth year in a row by the U.S. News & World Report, which recently released its Best Hospitals Survey for the 2021-2022 year.

The Baltimore hospital was once again ranked No. 1 in rheumatology this year after receiving the top honor in the 2020-2021, 2019-2020 and 2018-2019 surveys. In fact, the entire top 11 ranking in rheumatology for the 2021-2022 year remained unchanged compared to the previous year, with the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, once again rounding out the top three.

Johns Hopkins has been named the best hospital for rheumatology for the fourth year in a row by the U.S. News & World Report, which released its Best Hospitals Survey for the 2021-2022 year. Source: Adobe Stock

“This year’s expanded report from U.S. News includes new ratings for important procedures and conditions to help patients, in consultation with their doctors, narrow down their choice of hospital based on the specific type of care they need,” Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report, said in a press release.

Alongside its traditional hospital rankings, U.S. News & World Report also included health equity measures in its 2021-2022 survey that intended to explore racial disparities in health care — in particular, whether the patients treated at each hospital reflected the racial and ethnic diversity of its adjacent community.

“At roughly four out of five hospitals, we found that the community’s minority residents were underrepresented among patients receiving services such as joint replacement, cancer surgery and common heart procedures,” Harder said in the release. “Against this backdrop, however, we found important exceptions — hospitals that provide care to a disproportionate share of their community’s minority residents. These metrics are just a beginning; we aim to expand on our measurement of health equity in the future.”

In addition to its honors in rheumatology, Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked No. 1 in psychiatry and No. 3 in ear, nose and throat care for 2021-2022. It was ranked No. 4 overall in the nation, after placing third for four years in a row.

U.S. News & World Report compared more than 4,750 medical centers across the United States in 15 specialties and 17 procedures and conditions. Among these, 531 were recognized as “best regional hospitals,” based on their strong performance in multiple areas of care in a state or metro area.

For this year, the publication introduced ratings for seven procedures and conditions, increasing the number or rated services to 17 in all. The new ratings cover myocardial infarction, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, kidney failure, hip fracture and back surgery. Johns Hopkins was rated “high performing” for both kidney failure and hip fracture.

The top-ranked hospitals for rheumatology in the 2021-2022 report are:

1. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
2. Cleveland Clinic
3. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
4. Hospital for Special Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital
5. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
6. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
7. University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center
8. New York University Langone Hospitals
9. University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center
10. University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital
11. UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora

A complete list of the national rankings can be found at https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings.

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UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus has been named the No. 1 hospital in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report for the tenth year in a row. Photo: UCHealth.

For the tenth year in a row, U.S. News and World Report ranks UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, located on the Anschutz Medical Campus, as the No. 1 hospital in the state. U.S. News ranks UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies as the No. 2 hospital in Colorado and UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital at No. 4.

U.S. News also ranks University of Colorado Hospital among the nation’s best in eight specialties including No. 2 in pulmonology & lung surgery (lung and respiratory care), a distinction it shares with National Jewish Health. Poudre Valley Hospital is nationally ranked by U.S. News in the specialty of orthopedics.

“The past year has tested every health care worker and hospital, and these rankings are a testament to the dedication and perseverance of UCHealth’s employees and providers in providing the very best care for our patients,” said Elizabeth B. Concordia, UCHealth president and CEO. “Quality, safety and an excellent experience for our patients are always UCHealth’s top priorities.”

U.S. News & World Report ranks UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland as the No. 2 hospital in Colorado. Photo: UCHealth.

Over the past year, University of Colorado Hospital has participated in 53 clinical trials related to COVID-19, leveraging its strong relationship with the CU School of Medicine to develop new treatments, vaccines and a better understanding of the virus. University of Colorado Hospital has also cared for more hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infections than any other hospital in the state. More than 3,300 patients have recovered and been able to leave University of Colorado Hospital to return to their homes or a post-acute care facility.

“Our staff members and providers are extremely dedicated, serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. They have saved countless lives while maintaining excellent quality for all of our patients. The U.S. News rankings demonstrate the dedication and excellence of our patient care teams and the groundbreaking research led by CU School of Medicine faculty and UCHealth physicians,” said University of Colorado Hospital President and CEO Chris Gessner.

University of Colorado Hospital’s eight ranked specialties are:

• Pulmonology and Lung Surgery
• Rheumatology
• Diabetes and Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
• Ear, Nose and Throat
• Rehabilitation
• Urology
• Cancer

“We are honored to provide the most advanced care for lung and breathing conditions to patients throughout Colorado, the region, and across the nation,” said Dr. Robert Meguid, cardiothoracic surgeon at University of Colorado Hospital and associate professor at CU School of Medicine. “Having this nationally ranked program with cutting-edge capabilities in Colorado means our patients don’t need to travel out of the Rocky Mountain Region to get the outstanding care they deserve.

U.S. News & World Report ranks UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins as the No. 4 hospital in Colorado. Photo: UCHealth

As Colorado’s only adult academic medical center, University of Colorado Hospital provides clinical trials and innovative treatments through a strong partnership with the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Faculty from the CU School of Medicine are renowned experts in their fields and drive the quality recognized by the U.S. News rankings.

The annual Best Hospitals rankings, now in its 32nd year, are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions. For the 2021-22 rankings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in 15 specialties and 17 procedures and conditions.

For the full list of Colorado hospital rankings, visit health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings.

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The number of Covid-19 cases across the US may have been undercounted by as much as 60%, researchers at the University of Washington have found.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, builds on research which has found the number of reported cases “represents only a fraction of the estimated total number of infections”. It has important implications for how many Americans need to be vaccinated to stop outbreaks.

The paper comes as a swath of states across the south and midwest, especially Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana, experience outbreaks driven by Delta variant infections among unvaccinated people.

“There are all sorts of different data sources we can draw on to understand the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Adrian Raftery, a professor of sociology and statistics at the University of Washington and senior study author.

But, he said, “each source of data has its own flaws that would give a biased picture of what’s really going on. What we wanted to do is to develop a framework that corrects the flaws in multiple data sources and draws on their strengths to give us an idea of Covid-19’s prevalence in a region, a state or the country as a whole.”

The study incorporated data on deaths, the number of tests administered each day and the proportion that come back positive. Importantly, it also incorporated data from studies of people randomly sampled for Covid-19 in Indiana and Ohio.

Random sample surveys provide strong evidence of actual prevalence of a disease because they do not rely on people seeking out tests, which often fail to capture asymptomatic infections.

Based on analysis of that data, researchers found as many as 65 million Americans may have been infected. Official tallies put the number at about 33 million. The University of Washington researchers estimated that 60% of all cases were missed, with only one in every 2.3 cases counted in Indiana and Ohio.

On Monday, the Covid case count maintained by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and commonly referred to by media outlets stood at nearly 34.5 million

Undercounts can “depend on the severity of the pandemic and the amount of testing in that state”, said Nicholas J Irons, a study co-author and postdoctoral student.

“If you have a state with severe pandemic but limited testing, the undercount can be very high and you’re missing the vast majority of infections that are occurring,” he said. “Or, you could have a situation where testing is widespread and the pandemic is not as severe. There, the undercount rate would be lower.”

The findings have important implications for the prospect of reaching herd immunity, the point at which outbreaks end because a virus cannot find new hosts. As of May, scientists believed the herd immunity threshold for Covid-19 to be around 80%, a number that has edged upward with the emergence of highly contagious variants such as Delta.

By the spring of 2021, the study indicates, about 20% of the US population had been infected with Covid-19.

Without a mass vaccination campaign, the findings indicate, the US would be unlikely to reach herd immunity any time soon and therefore likely to suffer waves of outbreaks, hospitalizations and deaths.

Even with a mass vaccination campaign, the US is unlikely to reach herd immunity this year or perhaps ever, because of highly contagious variants, low vaccine acceptance in some states and because children under 12 are not eligible for vaccines.

About 56% of Americans are fully vaccinated, but those inoculations are not evenly spread. North-eastern states tend to have administered the highest proportion of vaccines, and states in the south and midwest the lowest.

That uneven distribution has allowed an outbreak of Delta infections to sweep through unvaccinated people across Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. Vaccines currently authorized in the US are highly effective against variants.

Low vaccination rates, including among health workers, have in turn sparked a national debate on vaccine mandates, with hospital chains and major city governments beginning to institute mandates for workers to be vaccinated.

Also on Monday, the American Medical Association issued a joint statement with dozens of doctors’ and nurses’ groups, calling for mandatory vaccination of health workers. Eldercare workers in particular have among the lowest vaccination rates in the medical industry. More than 40% have yet to receive a shot.

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ORLANDO, Fla., July 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stax by Fattmerchant, the industry’s only complete all-in-one solution for managing everything in the payments ecosystem, today announces its rank of first place on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Credit Card Processing Companies of 2021.

Stax earned a 360 overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 on the list, achieving the highest score given and beating out Stripe and Square, Inc. U.S. News’ online guide features in-depth information on choosing a credit card processing company and covers a range of topics including transaction fees and a number of auxiliary features. In total, U.S. News and World Report reviewed 11 credit card processing companies for this year’s list.

“Receiving recognition from U.S. News and World Report as one of the best credit card processing companies is a testament to our commitment to push the boundaries and provide our clients with the best possible payments experience,” said Sal Rehmetullah, president and founder of Stax. “It’s also an indication of what the future holds for Stax. As a leading technology and solutions provider, we’re positioned to experience tremendous growth as we continue to expand our offerings for businesses of all sizes, including the SaaS companies who serve them.”

U.S. News evaluated credit card processing companies based on everything from mobile app availability to third party integration capabilities. U.S. News’ 360 Reviews team applied an unbiased methodology that includes professional ratings and reviews, consumer ratings and reviews and research comparing various features of credit card processors.

“Stax remains dedicated to empowering every business by enabling them to use payments as a vehicle for growth,” said Suneera Madhani, CEO of Stax. “Now, more than ever, businesses need access to technology that provides greater visibility into the financial health of their business. We are proud of this recognition as Stax continues to deliver on those needs through our scalable solutions and industry leading all-in-one platform.”

Stax simplifies accepting and managing payments through its all-in-one platform, eliminating the need to work with multiple vendors while maintaining complete visibility into the health of the business. Through Stax, businesses have the ability to accept every type of payment and easily manage invoices through customizable digital invoicing, email and text payments, future and recurring payment scheduling and automatic payment reminders. Businesses can also access powerful tools including payment and sales analytics, financial reporting and business integrations.

For more information on Stax, please visit staxpayments.com.

Media Contact:
Erin Robertson
Uproar PR for Stax
ERobertson@uproarpr.com

About Stax
Stax is one of America’s fastest-growing fintech companies, recognized by U.S. News and World Report, Inc., and Fortune for its radically simple payment technology. Stax (formerly Fattmerchant) empowers more than 22,000 small businesses, large businesses and software platforms through the industry’s only all-in-one payments API. Stax’ platform provides businesses and SaaS platforms the ability to manage their payment ecosystem, analyze data, and simplify their customer experience through fully integrated solutions. With access to everything they need to transact seamlessly, the one-stop tool allows companies to move faster, think smarter, and make better business decisions through the power of payments. Stax has powered more than $10 billion in transactions and expanded globally to international markets outside of the US.

ABOUT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

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Now is the time.

At a time when the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider, when two people now own more wealth than the bottom 40% and when some of the wealthiest people and biggest businesses in the world pay nothing in federal income taxes, the billionaire class and large profitable corporations must finally start paying their fair share of taxes

Now is the time.

At a time when real wages for workers have not gone up in almost 50 years, when over half our people live paycheck to paycheck, when over 90 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, when working families cannot afford childcare or higher education for their kids, when many Americans no longer believe their government represents their interests, the US Congress must finally have the courage to represent the needs of working families and not just the 1% and their lobbyists.

Now is the time.

At a time of unprecedented heatwaves, drought, flooding, extreme weather disturbances and the acidification of the oceans, now is the time for the US government to make certain that the planet we leave our children and future generations is healthy and habitable. We must stand up to the greed of the fossil fuel industry, transform our energy system and lead the world in combating climate change.

As chairman of the US Senate budget committee I fought hard for a $6tn budget which would address these and other long-neglected needs. Not everyone in the Democratic caucus agreed with me and, after a lot of discussion and compromise within the budget committee, an agreement was reached on a smaller number. (Needless to say, no Republicans will support legislation which taxes the rich and protects working families.)

While this budget is less than I had wanted, let us be clear. This proposal, if passed, will be the most consequential piece of legislation for working people, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor since FDR and the New Deal of the 1930s. It will also put the US in a global leadership position as we combat climate change. Further, and importantly, this legislation will create millions of good-paying jobs as we address the long-neglected needs of working families and the planet.

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