Prime Healthcare’s two hospitals in San Diego, Paradise Valley Hospital and Alvarado Hospital, have earned “A” and “B” grades respectively on the Lown Institute’s Hospital’s Index evaluating hospitals for social responsibility. The Lown Institute is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to making our country’s healthcare system a more just and caring industry. By evaluating hospitals against 54 metrics related to equity, racial inclusivity, care outcomes, and healthcare value, Lown attempts to add transparency to our nation’s healthcare system and show if our hospitals are living up to their promises. As Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute has said, “It’s not enough for hospitals to say they’re committed to social responsibility. They need to put their commitment into action.”
Both Paradise Valley and Alvarado Hospitals are putting their words to action. Paradise Valley Hospital’s overall “A” Social Responsibility grade breaks down into a “B” in “equity,” and “A” in healthcare value, and a “B” for outcomes. In fact, Paradise Valley Hospital is ranked first overall in the nation in community benefits showing that the hospital returns far more than it receives to the communities it serves. Alvarado Hospital’s overall grade of “B” reflects the high marks the hospital achieved in providing healthcare value and overall patient outcomes. The common denominator here is that, for both hospitals, Prime Healthcare’s mission to “deliver compassionate, quality care to patients and better healthcare to communities” is more than just a slogan. Prime’s mission is a guiding principle governing every action taken by both hospitals. “I have spent over 20 years in healthcare,” noted Alvarado CEO Robin Gomez, herself a nurse. “And I have never encountered a healthcare system with a more disciplined focus on our mission, something that the leader of each Prime hospital is reminded of all the time: we are here to serve the people of our communities.” Neerav Jadeja, CEO of Paradise Valley Hospital, seconds Robin’s sentiments. “I truly believe that people that work at Paradise Valley Hospital do so because they want to be part of a higher purpose, and I’m confident that Robin can say the same about Alvarado.” He adds that people who choose to work in healthcare already tend to be this way, “but you can’t help internalizing the sense of a shared, larger purpose when you enter and work at Paradise Valley Hospital.”
This is further reflected by how Prime Healthcare and its other hospitals have ranked on the Lown Hospitals Index. As a healthcare system, Prime Healthcare is ranked fifth overall in the nation for social responsibility. Two Prime Healthcare hospitals are ranked in the top 10 nationally for overall social responsibility, and over a dozen other Prime hospitals are ranked highly by Lown in other categories. Now, perhaps more than ever, it seems more vital than healthcare systems re-dedicate themselves to equity. Sunny Bhatia, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Prime Healthcare has noted, “The COVID-19 pandemic has struck minority and underserved communities disproportionately hard, making it even more essential that our nation’s hospitals address health inequities. Prime Healthcare, our staff, and physicians are honored to be recognized as leaders in that effort.”