Southern Regional Medical Center was recognized by the Lown Institute for its commitment to community health, receiving an ‘A’ grade on the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Community Benefit. This accomplishment recognizes the hospital for investing the most in community health and caring for the patients with the greatest need. The hospital achieved this honor through strong performance across metrics of health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care, out of more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.
“Southern Regional strives to provide healthcare equity to improve access to care and the overall health of our community,” stated Ela Lena, President and CEO of Southern Regional Medical Center. “We are honored to receive this community health acknowledgement as it is a reflection of the services we provide in our commitment to closing the healthcare equity gap for our all residents in the communities we serve.”
“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.