A new report from the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare think tank, measures how well more than 3,100 U.S. hospitals serve people of color in their surrounding communities.
The report, published Sept. 19, is based on traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage claims and the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey from 2021.
Lown said each hospital's racial inclusivity score "reflects how well the demographics of the hospital's 'community area' (containing people who the hospital could serve) compare to the demographics of the patient population (who the hospital does serve)." The community area is based on the ZIP code tabulation area from which a hospital's Medicare patients come and includes a travel time adjustment. Researchers used census data to determine the proportions of racial/ethnic groups in the 65+ population in both the hospital patient population and community area.
Racially inclusive hospitals served more patients of color than expected based on the demographics of their service area. More information about the methodology is available here.
The following hospitals are the most racially inclusive in each state, per Lown:
Note: Hospitals with racially homogenous community areas were not given a ranking, and only one hospital in Alaska was able to be ranked for racial inclusivity.
Alabama
Princeton Baptist Medical Center (Birmingham)
Alaska
N/A
Arizona
Banner-University Medical Center South Campus (Tucson)
Arkansas
Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette
California
South Coast Global Medical Center (Santa Ana)
Colorado
Denver Health Medical Center
Connecticut
St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center (Hartford)
Delaware
Saint Francis Hospital (Wilmington)
District of Columbia
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Florida
UF Health Jacksonville
Georgia
Grady Memorial Hospital (Atlanta)
Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center (Honolulu)
Idaho
West Valley Medical Center (Caldwell)
Illinois
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital (Chicago)
Indiana
Methodist Hospitals (Gary)
Iowa
Avera Holy Family Hospital (Estherville)
Kansas
Amberwell Hiawatha
Kentucky
UofL Health-Jewish Hospital (Louisville)
Louisiana
University Medical Center New Orleans
Maine
Northern Maine Medical Center (Fort Kent)
Maryland
Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center
Massachusetts
Boston Medical Center
Michigan
Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit)
Minnesota
Hennepin County Medical Center (Minneapolis)
Mississippi
Merit Health Central (Jackson)
Missouri
University Health Truman Medical Center (Kansas City)
Montana
Big Horn Memorial Hospital (Hardin)
Nebraska
CHI Health Immanuel (Omaha)
Nevada
North Vista Hospital (North Las Vegas)
New Hampshire
Monadnock Community Hospital (Peterborough)
New Jersey
Capital Health Regional Medical Center (Trenton)
New Mexico
UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center (Rio Rancho)
New York
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan (New York City)
North Carolina
Atrium Health University City (Charlotte)
North Dakota
Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center
Ohio
Lutheran Hospital (Cleveland)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University Medical Center (Tulsa)
Oregon
St. Charles Madras
Pennsylvania
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (Philadelphia)
Rhode Island
Newport Hospital
South Carolina
Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital
South Dakota
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center
Tennessee
Metro Nashville General Hospital
Texas
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Utah
Holy Cross Hospital-Jordan Valley (West Jordan)
Vermont
Springfield Hospital
Virginia
Richmond Community Hospital
Washington
Astria Sunnyside Hospital
West Virginia
Grant Memorial Hospital (managed hospital) (Petersburg)
Wisconsin
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital-Milwaukee Campus
Wyoming
Washakie Medical Center (Worland)