Southeast Health recently received an “A” grade for outstanding social responsibility from the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. Lown is a nationally recognized healthcare think tank.

Southeast Health Medical Center earned this high mark from strong performance across metrics of health equity, patient outcomes and value of care as compared to 3,600 hospitals nationwide.

Southeast Health Medical Center ranked first out of 77 Alabama hospitals scored on the Social Responsibility metric. According to the Index, the medical center also received “A” grades in Social Responsibility, Patient Outcomes, Clinical Outcomes, Patient Safety and Cost Efficiency. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.

“We’ve been on a multi-year journey to improve quality, safety and patient satisfaction. This unsolicited award demonstrates that we are on the right track.” said, Rick Sutton, CEO. “I am proud of our Southeast Health team for giving of themselves daily in service to the community and our patients. They don’t do it for awards or recognition, they do it because service is in their heart, and they believe every patient deserves access to great healthcare.”
“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 more than 50 measures, which include novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity and avoidance of overuse. 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.

For more information about Lown and the hospital rankings, go to Rankings – Lown Institute Hospital Index (lownhospitalsindex.org)