St. Joseph ranked among most 'socially responsible' hospitals in U.S.
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson was recently named one of the top 30 most "socially responsible" hospitals in the nation by the Lown Institute.
Providence St. Patrick Hospital also received an "A" grade and was ranked third in the state.
The Lown Institute, a nonpartisan health care think tank, ranked more than 3,600 U.S. hospitals based on 53 metrics across categories of health equity, value and outcomes. Hospitals with "A" grades on each of the three categories are considered "most socially responsible."
The Lown Institute used publicly available data from Medicare claims, CMS hospital cost reports, IRS 990 forms and other sources for the rankings.
The Equity grade combines assessments of community benefit spending, pay equity, and inclusivity to evaluate hospitals’ commitment to community health and civic leadership.
The Value of Care category reflects hospitals' avoidance of unnecessary care and ability to achieve good outcomes without overspending.
The Outcomes category reflects a hospital's performance as it relates to their patients' health and experience of care.
“I am thrilled that our hospital team received this recognition, but not surprised," said Devin Huntley, Chief Operating Officer at St. Joseph Medical Center. "Our caregivers’ No. 1 commitment has always been making sure our patients are safe and well-taken care of. This award appropriately recognizes our caregivers across the organization. Whether cleaning rooms, delivering supplies, preparing meals, or laying healing hands on patients, every single person here contributed to this remarkable achievement. I am truly honored to be a member of this team!”
St. Joe’s offers numerous community-based programs, such as:
• The St. Joseph Medical Center Medication Assisted Treatment Program provides care and support to those struggling with substance use disorders. It uses a team-based approach, providing medications, behavioral health, care coordination, peer support and other services in an outpatient capacity.
• More than five years in the making, Journey of Hope (formerly Wrapped in Hope) combines pre- and post-natal screenings, postpartum support, lactation clinic services and pediatric interventions with behavioral health and trauma-informed care to support parents and infants with health issues caused by substance use.
• Seeing a gap for people in need of mental health therapy or counseling, with an emphasis on those who are marginalized and/or with low incomes, St. Joe’s has integrated mental health care into its primary care clinics. The number of patients served with depression treatment in these clinics continues to increase.