Death rates from fall injuries among older Americans more than tripled over the past 30 years. Medications that act on the central nervous system could be the culprit... More
CMS estimated that regulating the radiation dose of CT scans could prevent nearly 14,000 cancers and save $5 billion. So why is CMS considering loosening regulations? More
Hear from Lown's 2025 data science intern, Maya Balaban, about what she's been working on. More
As we prepare for the launch of our 2025 report on unnecessary back surgery, let’s take a moment to check in on the current state of medical overuse in America. More
"Depending on what you count, over‑prescribing costs the United States anywhere from a few billion dollars a year in easily measurable drug waste to more than half a trillion dollars…" writes Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute. More
These are the #1 hospitals in each state, according to the 2025 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. More
US News & World Report just released their list of “best hospitals” for 2025-26, which is based primarily on patient outcomes for complex specialty care and common procedures. The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility takes a different approach to hospital ranking, evaluating hospitals on metrics of equity and value as well as outcomes. Here's how the 2025 US News best hospitals perform on the Lown Index. More
According to the Lown Institute, Michigan’s nonprofit hospitals spent just 1.76% of their expenses on community benefit programs like charity care — the lowest among 20 states studied. That leaves a lot of room for hospitals to do more to serve their communities. More
See which critical access hospitals made our list of most socially responsible hospitals…and which ones are at risk of shutting down services or closure. More
A federal judge recently struck down a rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) seeking to remove medical debt from credit reports. How will this affect medical debt in the future? More
Can we reduce healthcare waste while making Americans healthier? A new Medicare pilot program that uses AI is trying to do just that. Here’s what’s promising about the program, and which elements could use rethinking. More
Hospitals have a lot of leeway to decide who is eligible for financial assistance. In some cases, hospitals don't allow any elective care to be eligible. What impact could that have on health or medical debt? More
Hospital leaders explained how their institutional culture, policies, and workforce help them deliver high-quality and high-value care while still prioritizing equity. More
Connect with other leaders in support of compassionate healthcare, social justice, and humanitarian values. More
Media Inquiries Aaron Toleos, VP of Communicationsatoleos@lowninstitute.org(978) 821-4620 Other Inquiries For all other inquiries, contact info@lowninstitute.org More
The data to support these criticisms has been cataloged and quantified by the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank interested in “bold ideas for a just and caring system for health.” It’s abundantly clear that “nonprofit” is now a misnomer when referring to hospitals. The fair share deficit — the disparity between what a hospital provides its community and what it receives from the American taxpayer — reached an all-time high of $25.7 billion in 2024. Yet fully 80% of “no-profit” hospitals claimed to be “in the red. More
The Lown Institute has released its highly anticipated index of America's Most Socially Responsible Hospitals. This year's honor roll comes at a critical time, as hospitals work to maintain equitable care amid potential Medicaid cuts, rising costs and ongoing workforce challenges. Duke Regional Hospital topped this year's acute care ranking, marking its fifth year on the list. More
Lown, a nonpartisan healthcare think tank, annually evaluates hospitals nationwide on more than 50 metrics pertaining to equity, value and health outcomes. Out of more than 2,700 acute care hospitals nationwide, Lown recognized 125 “Honor Roll” hospitals for achieving the highest scores in its latest 2025-2026 rankings.
“We're in the business of meeting people where they are,” Jason Carter [president and chief operating officer of Duke Regional] said. “So for us, access is the best indicator for downstream care. How can we care for our community, not in episodes of care, but creating systems of care? And that will only happen when we create trust with our community and do things, and engage in ways that people know it is safe to come seek their care with us.” More