Saint Francis Hospital named most socially responsible hospital in Delaware

The Lown Institute recognized Saint Francis for a second consecutive year

Wilmington, Del. — (July 2, 2024) — Saint Francis Hospital is pleased to announce that for the second consecutive year, it has been recognized as Delaware’s 2024 Most Socially Responsible Hospital by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit organization that evaluates and ranks U.S. hospitals based on a variety of factors related to social responsibility. Saint Francis Hospital ranks 42 out of 2,700 acute care hospitals across the U.S. in social responsibility.

The Lown Index ranking for Social Responsibility is based on hospitals’ grades in Equity, Value, and Outcomes. It is the first ranking to measure social responsibility of more than 3,600 U.S. hospitals nationwide and applies never-before-used metrics such as racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and community benefit. The Index includes 53 metrics to provide a unique and holistic ranking of hospital performance, taking into account the full breadth of what hospitals do as care providers, employers, and community partners.

“Now in our 100th year, Saint Francis Hospital has a rich history of serving the diverse communities of Wilmington,” says James Woodward, president and CEO of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, of which Saint Francis Hospital is a member. “We take pride in how we have positively influenced the social influencers of health in our community through our Community Health Needs Assessment as well as serving as a major employer of diverse colleagues within our market.”

According to the Lown Institute, patient racial and ethnic demographics were examined to gauge how effectively hospitals target care to those populations. Racially inclusive hospitals served more patients of color than expected based on the demographics of their service area. Disparities in health care outcomes and access are well-documented within diverse communities, including higher rates of chronic conditions and lower rates of private health insurance.

“Great care is only great if everyone can access it,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “Socially responsible hospitals are trusted to provide high-quality care to all, and their success directly improves the health and economic stability of their communities.”

Over the past year, Saint Francis Hospital has made great strides with the Healthy Village® at Saint Francis Hospital to meet community health needs, while also prioritizing whole life health care by promoting social influencers of health—helping patients and the community with food insecurities, education and social support. This includes welcoming Hope Commission’s Women’s Reentry Program and Delaware Hospice as recent partners in the mission.

Learn more about the Lown Hospital Index for Social Responsibility.