Adventist HealthCare Earns Top Honors for Social Responsibility and Racial Inclusivity

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Adventist HealthCare’s three acute-care hospitals were each honored on the Lown Institute’s 2023–24 Hospitals Index of the country’s most socially responsible hospitals. A national nonpartisan healthcare think tank, Lown analyzed over 3,600 hospitals in the nation to provide a holistic evaluation of hospital performance across health equity, value of care and patient outcomes to shed insight on which hospitals are exemplary community partners.

Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center was named No. 1 in Maryland in three major metrics: Social Responsibility, Health Equity and Community Benefit. This impressive triple recognition is a testament to the hospital’s unwavering commitment to serving the community in ways that earned top marks in inclusivity, clinical outcomes, patient safety, health equity, cost efficiency and community benefit. Of special note was the hospital’s strong performance on financial assistance spending, service of Medicaid patients and investing in community health needs.

Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center was named named No. 1 in Maryland for Racial Inclusivity. Disparities in healthcare outcomes and access are well-documented in communities of color, including higher rates of chronic conditions, lower life expectancy and lower rates of private insurance. This honor shows Fort Washington Medical Center’s commitment to serve more patients of color than expected – based on the demographics of their service area, including Medicare and Medicare Advantage claims and data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center was also honored with high marks for the hospital’s investment in community health, cost efficiency and clinical outcomes.

Overall, Adventist HealthCare earned an “A” Grade in Social Responsibility, ranking in the top 10% of all health systems nationally. The system performed especially well in health equity, community benefit and inclusivity areas.

While most rankings just measure patient outcomes, the Lown Index looks at the full breadth of hospitals as care providers, employers and community partners. “When communities have access to socially responsible healthcare, our nation grows stronger,” says Vikas Saini, M.D., 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.”