Top 100 hospitals identified for 2011

Russell Medical Center, in Alexander City, Ala.; Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston were among the 100 Top Hospitals identified this week by Thomson Reuters. 

The annual ranking "uses objective research and independent public data to recognize the best U.S. hospitals. Hospitals do not apply and winners do not pay to market this honor," Thomson Reuters reports. 

Other top performers include NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill., Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston and American Fork (Utah) Hospital. List