U.S. News & World Report Releases Inaugural List of Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access

For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has identified 53 hospitals that have produced enviable health care outcomes, while at the same time serving significant numbers of disadvantaged people of color, in an overt commitment to ensuring equitable access to care. Each of these hospitals was previously recognized by U.S. News in its Best Regional Hospitals rankings for its laudable health care outcomes without taking into consideration the impact such additional Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) factors might have had on patient outcomes. To make this new list, each hospital had to meet at least two of three additional criteria: at least 40% of Medicare inpatient visits involved patients living in socioeconomically deprived communities, the hospital serves a sizable Medicaid population, and its patient population reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the surrounding community.