Johns Hopkins remains the nation's third best hospital, according to annual rankings by U.S. News

Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked third for the second year in a row in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings of American hospitals.

The Baltimore hospital again fell short of securing the first place spot it held for 22 years, according to the assessment released Tuesday. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota held on to the top spot for the third year in a row, while Cleveland Clinic ranked No. 2.

This is the 29th year of the magazine’s rankings, which officials with U.S. News say are meant to help patients make informed decisions about where they go for medical care.

The rankings compared more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide across 25 specialties, procedures and conditions.

Johns Hopkins hospital president Redonda G. Miller credited the nurses, faculty and staff for the recognition.

“Of course, there are stories behind those numbers,” she said in a congratulatory video to staff. “[Stories] of the compassionate care you provide to our patients; of the efforts you make to research and implement best practices; and of the dedication and commitment that you … our nurses, faculty, and staff … have to excellence.”

U.S. News also ranked hospitals by state and region. In the Baltimore region, Johns Hopkins was ranked the best hospital. The University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore ranked second, while the university system’s St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson tied with MedStar Union Memorial as the third best hospital in the region.

Hopkins started slipping in the national rankings in 2012 when the magazine changed its methodology to put less emphasis on reputation.