The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has 151 doctors listed on the U.S. News & World Report’s Top Doctors, a new searchable directory of more than 30,000 physicians in the country, according to a press release.

The peer-nominated doctors from the UIHC and other medical institutions in the United States in one database allows consumers to search for the top doctors by location, hospital affiliation, and specialties.

Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. complied the list from regional hospitals as well as private practices.

"Given the unsettled future of the delivery and financing of health care and the changing nature of physician practices, it is critical that consumers have trusted sources of high-quality information about both doctors and hospitals," John Connolly, the president and CEO of Castle Connolly, said in the release.

The directory is related to the Best Hospital rankings, which ranks the UIHC nationally in 19 specialties and lists five specialties as high-performing.

"Top Doctors has a similar mission," Avery Comarow, the editor of U.S. News health rankings, said in the release. "We want to help consumers find the doctors in their areas who come highly recommended by other physicians."

— by Ariana Witt