The older you get, the more you realize that being in close proximity to a world-renown hospital is a great thing. Lucky for us, we live in a region that is full of excellent choices. Northern California hospitals are some of the best in the world. When you're young you don't think about these things, but once you have a family it's mandatory to live by good hospitals. The U.S. News And World Report let us know which are the very best of the best hospitals in Northern California.

1. Stanford Medicine - Palo Alto

Bed Count: 476

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 2,050

Stanford Medicine is home to a staff of geniuses, so it's no surprise they rank highly when it comes to the best hospitals in Northern California. Nine faculty members have won the Nobel prize and this hospital was the very first to transplant a human heart. You can rest easy knowing you or your loved ones will be in good hands here. Any hospital that was the first to do a heart transplant clearly staffs some of the best doctors in the world.

2. UCSF Health - San Francisco

Bed Count: 650

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 3,186

As medical pioneers with many discoveries, UCSF Health has been on the forefront of treatments for HIV/AIDS and are an international leader with their AIDS treatment. Their impressive accomplishments have led to their impeccable reputation.

3. UC Davis Medical Center - Sacramento

Bed Count: 581

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 913

Here's an interesting fact if you're close to this medical powerhouse: "UC Davis Medical Center operates the only level one trauma center for both adult and pediatric emergencies in inland Northern California." So no matter the age of the patient in question, The UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento is a good place to go to treat all different kinds of trauma.

4. John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center - Walnut Creek

Bed Count: 367

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 1,296

If you live in Contra Costa County you know about John Muir Health Walnut Creek. One source had this to say: "Recognized as one of the region's premier health care providers, its areas of specialty include high- and low-risk obstetrics, orthopedics, rehabilitation, neurosciences, cardiac care, and cancer care." As you can tell, they have a wide range of specialties, and are a great option for medical care.

5. Kaiser Permanente - San Francisco

Bed Count: 215

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 39

Kaiser has come a long way, baby. Now one of the most renowned medical centers, its numerous med centers serve almost 4 million members in Northern California alone. If you are in San Francisco, Kaiser Permanente's hospital is an excellent choice.

6. John Muir - Concord

Yup, John Muir ranks TWICE in the top list of medical facilities in NORCAL. Great job, people! The John Muir Health Concord Medical Center is well-known for its excellent care, and you can be assured that you or the patients you care about will be well taken care of here.

Bed Count: 250

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 538

7. California Pacific Medical Center - San Francisco

Bed Count: 785

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 1,279

Comprised of four of the oldest hospitals in San Francisco, the Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center now helps many in the Bay Area. With so much history of great care, you can be sure that this is a great place for your medical treatment.

No one wants to go to the hospital, but it's nice to know that we've got a lot of places that rank as some of the very best in case we ever have to go. How about you? Which hospital in Northern California have you had a positive experience visiting? Do you think there are any others that deserve to be on this list? Please let us know in the comments section.

To swing things in a different direction, how about a laugh? Here are 10 funny memes about living in Northern California.