Saint Michael’s Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, has been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index.
The Newark hospital achieved the honor for its strong performance demonstrated by metrics of health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care, out of more than 3,500 hospitals nationwide. Saint Michael’s was the highest ranked hospital in Newark and Essex County and ranked in the top quarter of hospitals both in New Jersey and nationally.
“We are incredibly proud to receive an A grade for social responsibility from the Lown Institute,” said Saint Michael’s CEO Alan Sickles, MD. “This recognition reflects our commitment to providing equitable, high-quality care and our dedication to the well-being of our community.”
The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to combine metrics of health equity and value of care alongside patient outcomes, for more than 2,700 acute care and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide, offering a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners.
“Great care is only great if everyone can access it,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “We need hospitals that are not only leaders in clinical care, but also strong community partners — and these socially responsible hospitals are showing the way.”
Saint Michael’s received an A for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group in the latest period – the sixth time since 2020. The hospital was recognized as a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, placing it in the top 10% of all hospitals nationwide for patient safety.
In the fifth annual rankings, the 2024-25 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on more than 50 measures including 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. The rankings are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.
The full methodology can be found on the Lown Index website.
