Hunterdon Medical Center among best in the nation at serving its patients and community, according to health care think tank

Hunterdon Medical Center has been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade on the 2023-2024 Lown Institute Hospitals Index.  Hunterdon Medical Center 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.

Hunterdon Medical Center ranked No. 1 out of 60 hospitals in New Jersey and No. 65 nationally on the Social Responsibility metric. According to the Index, the hospital also received “A” grades for Value of Care, Patient Outcomes, Clinical Outcomes, Patient Safety, Community Benefit, Avoiding Overuse and Cost Efficiency.

In addition, Hunterdon Medical Center ranked No. 1 in New Jersey for Value of Care and Cost Efficiency and in the top five in New Jersey for Patient Outcomes, Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.

“When communities have access to socially responsible health care, 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 — 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.