Lehigh Regional Medical Center among best in the nation at serving its patients and community, according to Lown Institute
July 18, 2023 — Lehigh Regional Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, has been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade on the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. Lehigh Regional 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.
Lehigh Regional Medical Center received “A” grades in Clinical Outcomes and Cost Efficiency. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index ranks Lehigh Regional Medical Center among the top 10% in the nation and #24 out of 168 in the state for Clinical Outcomes, measuring patient mortality and readmission rates over various periods of time. Cost Efficiency measures risk-adjusted clinical outcomes over cost per patient adjusted for local cost of living and labor costs and ranks Lehigh Reginal Medical Center among the top 15% nationally.
“Earning “A” grades in these categories for the second year in a row confirms our team’s focus on the best clinical outcomes for our patients. It is a privilege to be part of a team who continually strives to improve quality and positively impacts the health of the community we serve,” said Cheryl McIntire, CEO of Lehigh Regional Medical Center.
“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.”
Lehigh Regional Medical Center was most recently recognized by Healthgrades as a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient, placing the hospital among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals. This is the 5th consecutive year Lehigh Regional Medical Center has received the Healthgrades Patient Safety Award, and the 3rd year to be named among the Top 5% in the Nation for Patient Safety.
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.
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.
About Lehigh Regional Medical Center
Lehigh Regional Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, is accredited by The Joint Commission with the Gold Seal of Approval as a 53-bed acute-care facility. Committed to compassionate care, Lehigh Regional Medical Center has uniquely served its five-county community in Lehigh Acres, Florida, since 1965. The state-of-the-art hospital provides specialty care services that include Emergency Services, Cardiology, Critical Care, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Nephrology, and Orthopedics delivering patient-centered healthcare with dignity and respect for all. lehighregional.com
Julie Lawrence / jlawrence2@primehealthcare.com / 239-368-4479