HOUSTON (Oct. 5, 2021) — Harris Health System is among the best ‘social responsibility’ healthcare institutions in the nation with grades of ‘A’ for metrics of patient outcomes and equity areas of staff pay, inclusivity and community investment, according to the Lown Institute Hospitals Index.
The national recognitions rank Harris Health 63 among the 442 largest U.S. hospitals (more than 400 patient beds) in 2021. The index measures several key areas including value, equity and outcomes among more than 3,700 hospitals in this year’s index.
Harris Health received ‘A’ grades in the following areas:
- Pay equity – how well hospital staff are paid compared to executives
- Community benefit – how well hospitals invest in community health
- Inclusivity – how well hospitals serve people of color, people with lower incomes and people with lower levels of education
- Clinical outcomes – success at achieving low mortality and readmission rates
“We’re honored to again be recognized for the hard work and dedication that the staff at Harris Health System has shown in fulfilling our mission to improve the health and well-being of our community,” says Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO, Harris Health System. “These recognitions align with our strategic goals and again challenge each of us to lead the healthcare community in matters outside traditional healthcare into a thoughtful, efficient and effective population health management approach as we tackle the issues of social inequities that are at the root of health disparities in our society today.”
According to the Lown Institute, most hospital rankings focus solely on patient outcomes, but fail to capture how hospitals do more than just provide medical services. Healthcare leaders make decisions every day that impact the health and well-being of their community, such as how they invest in community health initiatives, who they welcome into the hospital and how much they pay their workers. The index is the reportedly the first ranking to take these factors into account in a holistic measure of social responsibility.
Not surprisingly, public hospitals like Harris Health System are well represented on the list, given their role as safety net institutions tasked with caring for all regardless of ability to pay.
“Hospitals say they want to be great community partners, and the ones at the top of our list have followed through,” says Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute. “With the pandemic shining a light on health inequity in America, we need more hospitals to give back as much as they take in tax breaks.”
For more information on Harris Health System’s scores from the Lown Institute, visit www.lownhospitalsindex.org.