LCMC HEALTH HOSPITALS EARN “A” GRADE FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON NATIONAL LIST

West Jefferson Medical Center ranked as #1 hospital in Louisiana for serving its patients and community; New Orleans East Hospital and Touro also ranked among top 10 most socially responsible hospitals in the state

NEW ORLEANS – Three LCMC Health hospitals have been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade on the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. West Jefferson Medical Center, New Orleans East Hospital, and Touro achieved this honor through strong performance across metrics of health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care. More than 3,600 hospitals nationwide were evaluated.

West Jefferson Medical Center ranked #1 out of #76 hospitals in Louisiana with Touro and New Orleans East Hospital following at #5 and #8 respectively on the social responsibility metric. East Jeferson General Hospital and Tulane Medical Center also made top 50 on this list. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.

“LCMC Health is truly honored to have our hospitals recognized by the Lown Institute, acknowledging our dedicated commitment to social responsibility," said Dr. Toni Flowers, LCMC Health Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer. “Over the past year, we’ve embarked on a transformative journey,evaluating the process, challenging our hospitals to assess our practices for equitable care for every patient. As we persist in our vision of prioritizing health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care, we eagerly look forward to our path in becoming an extraordinary socially responsible health system.”

“When communities have access to socially responsible healthcare, our nation grows stronger,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “That’s why it’s so important to hold up these high-performing hospitals as examples for others to follow.”

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to include metrics of health equity and value of care alongside patient outcomes, creating a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners. In the fourth annual and largest set of rankings to date, the 2023-24 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on 50+ measures--including novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity, and avoidance of overuse--for more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide. Data sources include Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms, among others. Full methodology can be found on the Lown Index website.

The Lown Institute is a nonpartisan think tank that generates bold ideas for a radically better system of health. Learn more at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org

# # #