Bergen New Bridge Medical Center was recently recognized by the Lown Institute for its community benefit, receiving an “A” grade on the institute’s Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.
Community benefit demonstrates a hospital’s commitment to investing in charity care as well as a broad spectrum of community health outreach programs.
This is the fourth year of the Lown Index, the only annual ranking to fully integrate racial inclusivity, community investment and pay equity with traditional outcomes measures. Medicare Advantage claims have been included for the first time, further distinguishing the Lown Index from other platforms in terms of scope and validity.
“I am incredibly proud of what this designation means for the medical center, as our mission is to bring health care directly to those who need it most, particularly those who have historically been underserved and disenfranchised,” Deborah Visconi, CEO and president, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, said. “We will continue to lead efforts to eliminate barriers to care in our community and to be stewards of health equity while continuing to provide high quality health care and behavioral health services to all who need them.”
“Good hospitals make their patients healthier, but socially responsible hospitals make their communities healthier, too,” Dr. Vikas Saini, president, Lown Institute, said. “These are the hospitals America needs right now — hospitals that can set and achieve ambitious goals for serving their entire community.”
The health equity score on the Lown Index is based on hospitals’ performance on inclusivity (caring for all patients in the community), community benefit (investing in charity care and community health programs) and pay equity (avoiding excessive CEO compensation). Data sources include hospital cost reports filed with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and IRS 990 forms, both from 2019.
