The Lown Institute, a nonpartisan healthcare think tank, released its ranking May 17 of the best hospitals in the U.S. for avoiding overuse of low-value tests and procedures.
For the ranking, Lown examined service use measures at more than 3,100 hospitals. Data in the ranking came from the Medicare claims database and spanned 2018 to 2020. Eight common procedures — including hysterectomy for benign disease, coronary stents for stable heart disease and spinal fusion for low back pain — were measured. Four tests were also considered. Hospitals with the capacity to do four or more of the services were ranked. To learn more about the methodology, click here.
Here are the Lown Institute's top 10 hospitals for avoiding unnecessary tests and procedures:
1. Highland Hospital (Rochester, N.Y.)
2. Natividad Medical Center (Salinas, Calif.)
3. Logan Health Medical Center (formerly Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Medical Center)
4. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston)
5. Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (Burlington, Mass.)
6. St. Luke's Boise (Idaho) Medical Center
7. Tufts Medical Center (Boston)
8. Maine Medical Center (Portland)
9. University of Vermont Medical Center (Burlington)
10. Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, N.Y.)
View the full list here.