Top 25 most socially responsible hospitals in the US

Out of thousands of hospitals, only a few dozen are considered socially responsible, according to a new ranking from think tank Lown Institute. 

The Lown Hospitals Index measures social responsibility, determined by 53 metrics across patient outcomes, value of care and health equity. The index is the first to measure social responsibility for more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide. In total, 66 hospitals earned the title of most socially responsible by Lown Institute, with each hospital earning an “A” rating across the metrics. The index also looks at metrics such as racial inclusivity of patients, employee pay equity and avoidance of unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures. 

“Citizens put their lives and billions of tax dollars in the hands of America’s hospitals,” Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute, said in a statement. “We believe communities should have high expectations and the most socially responsible institutions should be lifted up as models for the system.”

Here are the top 25 most socially responsible hospitals, as ranked by Lown Institute:

  1. Adventist Health Howard Memorial (Willits, California)
  2. Duke Regional Hospital (Durham, North Carolina)
  3. Tristar Horizon Medical Center (Dickson, Tennessee)
  4. Boston Medical Center Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts)
  5. Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (Salinas, California)
  6. Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center (Gresham, Oregon)
  7. Banner-University Medical Center South Campus (Tucson, Arizona)
  8. Saint Alphonsus Medical Center - Nampa (Nampa, Idaho)
  9. Saint Alphonsus Medical Center - Ontario (Ontario, Oregon)
  10. Denver Health Medical Center (Denver, Colorado)
  11. St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose De Lima Campus (Henderson, Nevada)
  12. Centura Health-St. Mary Corwin Medical Center (Pueblo, Colorado)
  13. Saint Joseph Berea (Berea, Kentucky)
  14. St. Charles Prineville (Prineville, Oregon)
  15. Metrohealth System (Cleveland, Ohio)
  16. Stoughton Hospital (Stoughton, Wisconsin)
  17. Sutter Solano Medical Center (Vallejo, California)
  18. Providence Milwaukie Hospital (Milwaukie, Oregon)
  19. North Suburban Medical Center (Thornton, Colorado)
  20. Baystate Wing Hospital and Medical Centers (Palmer, Massachusetts)
  21. Medical Center of the Rockies (Loveland, Colorado)
  22. Atrium Health University City (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  23. Lee Memorial Hospital (Fort Myers, Florida)
  24. Excela Health Frick Hospital (Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania)
  25. Tristar Stonecrest Medical Center (Smyrna, Tennessee)

Lown Institute launched its Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility in 2020, drawing attention to leading and lagging institutions nationwide. The rankings also offer a benchmark for hospitals to measure how well they serve their communities and patients.  

Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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