The hospital was ranked in 13 specialty areas in 2001 U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" issue. MedStar Georgetown was ranked in more categories than any other Washington-area hospital was awarded Magnet Status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 2004. MedStar Georgetown was the first, and remains the only, hospital in the District to be awarded this distinction. In 1988, the hospital was involved in the important United States Supreme Court case "Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital", in which the court held that agencies may not promulgate retroactive rules unless expressly authorized by Congress.