Jamaica Hospital Medical Center was one of 39 hospitals in New York to receive an “A” rating for social responsibility from the Lown Institute, a nonprofit think tank that advocates for equitable treatment and services among healthcare organizations. This rating is the highest awarded by the Institute.
Social responsibility ratings are given to hospitals across the country. Out of the 39 institutions given A ratings in New York, 22 (including Jamaica Hospital) were located in the New York City metropolitan area. Among all hospitals ranked for social responsibility in New York, Jamaica Hospital ranked ninth.
Hospital ratings are based on more than 50 metrics focused on elements such as pay equity, community benefits, cost efficiency, and patient outcomes. Historically, many New York hospitals have struggled to achieve an A rating for social responsibility; this is partially due to difficulties with pay equity amidst the constantly-rising cost of living in New York City and other parts of the state.
Overall, Jamaica Hospital was rated A in Equity (which reflects a commitment to inclusion and community health), A in Value (which reflects the avoidance of low-value services and an emphasis on cost-efficiency), and B in Outcomes (which reflects performance in relation to patient health and care experiences). The hospital scored particularly high in a few key metrics, such as Community Benefit (which measures the extent of a hospital’s investment in community health) and Avoiding Overuse (which measures the avoidance of inappropriate tests and procedures that offer little or no clinical benefit).
Thank you to everyone at Jamaica Hospital for the work you’ve done to earn us this accolade!