Baystate Wing Hospital, Baystate Noble Hospital, Baystate Franklin Medical Center Selected as America's Most Socially Responsible Hospitals

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.– Baystate Health announced today that Baystate Wing Hospital, Baystate Noble Hospital, and Baystate Franklin Medical Center have been nationally recognized by Lown Institute Hospitals Index for their social responsibility, including metrics of health equity and value of care as well as patient outcomes. The Lown Hospital Index is a report that evaluates over 2,700 acute care hospitals and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide.

The Lown Institute Hospitals Index is the first ranking to evaluate hospitals on their social responsibility focusing on the full scope of what hospitals do as care providers, employers, and community partners. The ranking highlights those hospitals that provide exceptional, high-value patient care to all who need it in their community.

Lown used publicly available data from CMS and the IRS, among other sources, for its analysis with the ratings based on the following:

Equity:

• Pay Equity: Measures the difference in compensation of hospital executives compared to healthcare workers without advanced degrees
• Community Benefit: Measures the extent of hospital investment in free care and community health
• Inclusivity:  Measures the extent to which patients being served are demographically similar to those in the surrounding community

Value:

• Avoiding Overuse: Measures the avoidance of inappropriate tests and procedures that offer little or no clinical benefit
• Cost Efficiency: Measures risk-adjusted clinical outcomes over cost per patient adjusted for local cost of living and labor costs

Outcomes:

• Clinical Outcomes: Measures patient mortality and readmission rates over various periods of time
• Patient Safety: Measures the avoidance of preventable patient safety errors
• Patient Satisfaction: Measures aspects of the hospital experience as reported by patients

Baystate Wing Hospital was ranked #1 in Massachusetts for the second year in a row and also recognized as an Honor Roll designation for a fourth year in a row with “straight A’s” on equity, value, and outcomes. “Baystate Wing Hospital is proud to be #1 in the state for a second year and also to achieve Honor Roll status again this year. We received ‘A’ grades in all major categories: Social Responsibility, Health Equity, Value of Care, and Patient Outcomes,” stated Karli Barrett, MS, RN, NE-BC, president and COO, Baystate Wing Hospital. “This high ranking reflects our steadfast commitment to community health across the various communities we serve, underscoring our role as a leader in providing high-quality, equitable care.”

Baystate Noble Hospital ranked #2 in Massachusetts and also earned “straight A’s” on equity, value and outcomes and was included in the Honor Roll for acute care hospitals. “This recognition underscores Baystate Noble Hospital’s determination to improve the health of the people in our communities every day with quality and compassion,” said Brandon Okezie, president and COO, Baystate Noble Hospital. “Our team maintains high standards for the care we provide and is proud to be a vital healthcare resource for everyone in Westfield and the surrounding communities.”

Baystate Franklin Medical Center ranked #6 in Massachusetts reflecting an “A” in performance in health equity and value. “Baystate Franklin Medical Center is proud to be recognized for our work in these areas,” shared Jodi Stack, president and COO, Baystate Franklin Medical Center. “Our team is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate, and equitable care in an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.”

To learn more about the Lown Institute Hospitals Index and explore this year’s rankings, visit Lown Institute Hospitals Index.