a healthy score
This Austin hospital ranks among top 10 in the nation, says new study
A new report ranks one Austin hospital among the very best in the U.S. when it comes to serving patients and the community as a whole.
Brookline, Massachusetts-based think tank The Lown Institute has unveiled its Lown Institute Hospitals Index, which evaluated more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals based on civic leadership (inclusion and access), value of care, and patient outcomes (safety and satisfaction) using data from a variety of sources.
"At a time when communities are relying on them like never before, hospitals must rethink what it means to be great," says Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, in a news release. "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."
Austin's Seton Northwest Hospital ranks fourth on the list of the top U.S. hospitals overall. Seton Northwest received an A- for civic leadership, an A- for value of care, and an A+ for patient outcome, for an overall A+ grade.
The report also provides a breakdown of the best hospitals in the Austin area. Those scoring a B or better are:
- Seton Northwest Hospital, A+
- Central Texas Medical Center — San Marcos, A+
- Seton Highland Lakes — Burnet, A
- St. David's South Austin Medical Center, A-
- Seton Medical Center, A-
- Round Rock Medical Center, B+
- St. David's Medical Center, B+
- North Austin Medical Center, B
Three other Texas hospitals appear among the top 10 in the nation: JPS Health Network in Fort Worth at No. 1, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston at No. 9, and Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas at No. 10.
The point of the study, according to the release, is to hold hospitals accountable for more than just one factor of success.
"No other hospital ranking provides a 360-degree view of hospital performance," says Shannon Brownlee, senior vice president at the Lown Institute, in the release.
"Many of the best-known hospitals score highly on patient outcomes but poorly on civic leadership and value of care. Our data show that it's possible to do well in all three categories, because some hospitals are doing it. That means all the people in their communities are being served effectively and fairly."
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A version of this story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.
