Rapides Regional Medical Center has been ranked No. 3 in Louisiana as a 2013-2014 “Best Hospital” by U.S. News & World Report.

RRMC was the only Alexandria hospital to receive a state ranking in the publication’s 24th annual Best Hospitals report released online earlier this week. This is the second consecutive year RRMC has been ranked as one of the state’s top three “Best Hospitals.”

Rapides Regional Medical Center was also recognized for having five “high performing” specialties. The list included gastroenterology and GI surgery, nephrology, neurology/neurosurgery, orthopedics and pulmonology.

“This is a great achievement for our employees and our medical staff,” said Jason E. Cobb, Rapides Regional Medical Center president and chief executive officer. “Without a doubt, patients should be able to look at this list and know that RRMC provides the highest level of care. When our patients choose a hospital, I want them to know that RRMC is at the top of the list.”

U.S. News evaluates hospitals in 16 adult specialties. Oschner Medical Center in New Orleans was No. 1 in the state and Willis Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport was ranked No. 2 in Louisiana.

“A hospital that emerges from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “Only about 15 percent of hospitals are recognized for their high performance as among their region’s best. Just 3 percent of all hospitals earn a national ranking in any specialty.”

Rankings are available online at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and will appear in print in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2014 guidebook, available in bookstores and on newsstands Aug. 27.