New index assesses quality, value, and civic leadership of U.S. hospitals
A new ranking of U.S. hospitals shows that those with good clinical outcomes tend to score poorly in addressing inequities that affect the health of their communities.
The Lown Institute, a Brookline, Mass., based nonpartisan think tank used never-before-considered measures for its Lown Institute Hospitals Index to help hospitals better serve and support their 
communities. The Index shows how nearly 3,300 U.S. hospitals compare on 42 performance indicators. The measures fall under three categories:
- Civic Leadership, which assesses a commitment to equity, inclusion and community health,
- Value Care, which measures use of unnecessary services, and
- Patient Outcomes, which evaluates patient safety, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
“At a time when communities are relying on them like never before, hospitals must rethink what it means to be great,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “COVID-19 highlights how hospitals are essential community partners for anyone in need. To be great, however, a hospital cannot only provide care that’s high in quality. It must also deliver value and advance equality. Our index is designed to help them do just that.”
Across all measures, United Hospital Center (UHC) is the one hospital in West Virginia to rank in the top 100 hospitals nationally. While nationally known hospitals perform well on specific measures, few appear near the top of the rankings.
“UHC scored well in all categories, especially clinical and patient outcomes where we were ranked best in West Virginia,” said Dr. Mark Povroznik, vice president of Quality at UHC. “This national designation, as a top 100 hospital, is further validation concerning the quality of care that UHC provides for West Virginians and those beyond its borders. This is why we see some patients driving more than two hours to seek care at our facility.”
The Lown Index results are available at LownHospitalsIndex.org where people can compare hospitals based on location, hospital type, and metric. It is also the data source for the Washington Monthly’s “Best Hospitals for America” issue, released simultaneously.
“UHC is honored to be ranked nationally as a top 100 U.S. hospital for the second time this year,” said Mike Tillman, CEO at UHC. “We are committed to providing care that rivals what is available nationally, while dedicated to delivering better outcomes and patient satisfaction.”
—WVU Medicine—
About United Hospital Center
United Hospital Center is the result of a merger between St. Mary’s and Union Protestant hospitals in 1970. This bold move provides north central West Virginia with a regional community hospital that offers a vast array of services. The new UHC opened in 2010 and is located along I-79 in Bridgeport. The 692,000 square foot structure rises eight stories. It is designed around the environment with the patient, family, staff, and community in mind—which includes enhanced patient privacy, a high level of technology integration, and improved access to care. The acute care facility has 292 private inpatient rooms and a medical staff that consist of more than 140 primary care and specialty physicians. UHC employs more than 2,000 Associates and is a member West Virginia University Health System. For more information about United Hospital Center, please visit uhcwv.org.
About Lown Institute
Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute focuses on health care issues such as medical overuse and underuse, health equity, and cost of care. The Institute believes a radically better system of health is possible and advances bold ideas to achieve this. Learn more at www.lowninstitute.org.