New index assesses quality, value and civic leadership of New Jersey hospitals

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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 think tank, used never-before-considered measures from its Lown Institute Hospitals Index to help hospitals better serve and support their communities. The Index shows how nearly 3,300 hospitals nationwide compare on 42 performance indicators.

The measures fall under three categories: Civic Leadership, which assesses a commitment to equity, inclusion and community health; Value of Care, which measures use of unnecessary services; and Quality of Care, which evaluates patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction.

“At a time when communities are relying on them like never before, hospitals must rethink what it means to be great,” said Dr. Vikas Saini, 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.”

Based on the Index measures, New Jersey’s top 10 hospitals are:

• Carepoint Health-Hoboken University Medical Center – Hoboken
• Clara Maass Medical Center – Belleville
• Monmouth Medical Center – Long Branch
• Saint Michael’s Medical Center – Newark
• St. Luke’s Warren Hospital – Phillipsburg
• Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center – Camden
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center – Newark
• Atlanticare Regional Medical Center – City Campus – Atlantic City
• Inspira Medical Center Vineland – Vineland
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset – Somerville

“There are some very fine hospitals that feel forced to focus on profitable elective procedures to stay in business,” said Saini. “This can lead to business decisions that make them look good on outcomes like mortality, but at the expense of equity. The data show that gaps between a hospital’s clinical results and its performance in the community are sometimes very wide, which can contribute to disparities in care and put certain communities at risk.”

The Lown Index uses data from a wide variety of sources, including the 100 percent Medicare claims datasets (MEDPAR and outpatient); Internal Revenue Service pulled from Community Benefit Insight database; Healthcare Cost Report Information System administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Securities and Exchange Commission filings; public records; Bureau of Labor Statistics; and other databases.