2024 Fair Share Spending: Top 10 Hospitals
These hospitals had the largest fair share surpluses in the nation. That means that their spending on meaningful community investments exceeded the value of their tax exemption. More
2024 Fair Share Spending: Top 10 Systems
These health systems had the largest fair share surpluses in the country, meaning their spending on community investments exceeded the value of their tax exemption. More
WATCH: California experts discuss fair share results
Communities invest in their local nonprofit hospitals through big tax breaks. Are hospitals giving back their fair share in return? Alongside California health policy experts, we unpack the results of the 2024 "Fair Share Spending" analysis. More
Steward implosion provides cautionary tale on private equity in health care
Steward Health Care, a for-profit system formerly owned by a private equity firm, is selling nine hospitals in Massachusetts, after running out of money to run the hospitals. Here's what happened, and what the fallout might mean for Massachusetts communities. More
Three things Black people should know about health care (Part 3)
Despite having access to world-class medical facilities nearby, often people with the most serious health concerns tend to bypass the “nicer” hospitals. Here’s why that happens, and why you might consider trying out these hospitals nonetheless. More
REGISTER: Are hospitals giving back as much as they take? A close-up look at California
Communities invest in their local nonprofit hospitals through big tax breaks. Are hospitals giving back their fair share in return? To find out, the Lown Institute analyzed hospital community investments compared to the value of their tax breaks—what we call “Fair Share Spending.” More
A year after Wellstar Atlanta closes, area hospitals struggle to pick up the pieces
One year ago, safety net hospital Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center closed its doors. Recent interviews help paint a picture of how this closure has impacted remaining hospitals. More
Why good hospitals don’t always make good neighbors
New research sheds light on how some hospitals are falling short when it comes to serving those closest to them. More
The most inclusive hospitals get the least amount of radiology research funding, study finds
Is there a relationship between hospital inclusivity and the funding they receive? A new study explains... More
Five ways hospitals can be more socially responsible in 2024
Many of us adopt resolutions for the New Year—could hospitals do the same? Here are five ways that hospitals could become more socially responsible in the coming year, inspired by those hospitals that are already leading the way. More
LISTEN: The “biggest moonshot” is fixing American healthcare
On the The Commonwealth Fund's podcast, "The Dose," Dr. Vikas Saini talked with host Joel Bervell about all things healthcare, from price transparency at hospitals to the epidemic of unnecessary coronary stents. More
The prevalence and harm of unnecessary stents
A new report from the Lown Institute finds that U.S. hospitals performed more than 229,000 unnecessary stents on Medicare patients from 2019-2021. Here's what overuse experts had to say about the issue... More
REGISTER: How unnecessary stents harm patients and waste billions of dollars
How often are these procedures happening, and where? How much are we wasting on these low-value services? And what can we do to prevent unnecessary care? More
WATCH: How hospitals can improve racial inclusivity
At the Lown Institute event on hospital racial inclusivity, health equity experts weighed in on hospital segregation and strategies for improving inclusivity. Watch the full event recording! More
REGISTER: America’s Most Racially Inclusive Hospitals, 2023
Register now for our Racial Inclusivity launch on Sept. 19, 2023. More
How much hospital CEO pay is too much? This city is considering a cap on executive compensation
Hospitals are an outlier among nonprofits when it comes to CEO pay, and hospitals in Los Angeles are no exception. Here's what one union is doing about it... More
How do Critical Access Hospitals perform on the Lown Index?
Critical Access hospitals serve patients that would otherwise have limited access to healthcare. How do they perform on the Lown Index? Let's take a look... More
US News “best” hospitals still falling short on equity
The latest list of "best hospitals" from US News and World Report is out... how do they perform when equity is factored in? More
How do academic medical centers perform on the Lown Index?
Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) are affiliated with medical schools and tend to be larger, well-resourced institutions. How do they perform on the Index? Let's take a look... More
2023 Hospital Social Responsibility: Event Recap
Over 3,600 hospitals were evaluated across the nation. Fifty-four earned A’s across the three main categories of equity, value, and outcomes, earning them Honor Roll status. To have a socially responsible healthcare system, we need more hospitals performing better on metrics like pay equity, racial inclusivity, and community investment. So how do we accomplish this goal? More