Griffin Hospital in Derby earns Lown Institute recognition

DERBY - Griffin Hospital was among only 5% of hospitals nationwide to earn Honor Roll status in the Lown Institute’s 2024-25 Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility, ranking Griffin #1 in the state for clinical outcomes.

The Lown Institute Hospitals Index is the first ranking to evaluate hospitals on their social responsibility, including metrics of health equity and value of care alongside traditional clinical measures for more than 2,700 U.S. hospitals nationwide. 

As a member of the Honor Roll, Griffin has been recognized for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade through strong performances across all seven top categories of Social Responsibility, Health Equity, Value of Care, Patient Outcomes, Clinical Outcomes, Inclusivity, and Cost Efficiency.

In addition to being the top scorer in clinical outcomes for Connecticut, Griffin was ranked #56 nationwide for social responsibility.

“We are deeply honored that Griffin Hospital has been named to the Lown Institute’s national Honor Roll for social responsibility and recognized as the top hospital in Connecticut for clinical outcomes,” said Patrick Charmel, president and CEO of Griffin Health. “This prestigious distinction reflects Griffin’s dedication to advancing health equity, delivering high-value care, and achieving exceptional clinical results for our patients and community.

“Social responsibility is not just a measure of our institutional values—it is a vital commitment that guides every aspect of our patient-centered mission. Our caregivers’ compassion, collaboration, and service have made this honor possible, and we remain focused on our work to address the broader needs that shape community health. By prioritizing inclusivity, quality, safety, and innovation, we are proud to set the standard for excellence and to help lead the way toward a healthier future for all we serve.”

The Lown Index uses publicly available data from traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage claims; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services datasets on patient safety, patient experience, and hospital costs; Internal Revenue Service Form 990; and other sources. 

The Index takes into account the full breadth of what hospitals do as care providers, employers, and community partners and seeks to shine a light on those hospitals that provide exceptional, high-value patient care to everyone in their communities. 

Lown data scientists report on never-before-used metrics like Racial Inclusivity, Pay Equity, Avoiding Overuse, and Community Benefit. Fifty-four unique metrics contribute to each hospital or health system’s Social Responsibility grade. The full methodology of the Index can be found at https://lownhospitalsindex.org/rankings/our-methodology.

“Hospitals like Griffin show that no matter how tough the environment gets, putting patients and communities first is always possible,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “Those returning to the list prove that equitable, high-value care doesn’t have to be rare, it’s a standard hospitals can uphold year after year.”

About the Lown Institute

The Lown Institute is an independent think tank advocating bold ideas for a just and caring system for health. We envision a healthcare system focused on what’s best for people, like hospitals caring for those most in need, patients living without fear of financial distress, and health professionals finding joy in their roles.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Griffin in Derby named CT's most socially responsible hospital for 2nd straight year

Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Hospital was named Connecticut’s most socially responsible hospital, according to the Lown Institute’s 2023-24 Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. 

This is the second straight year Griffin is ranked first in the state.

The Index is the first ranking to measure social responsibility of nearly 4,000 U.S. hospitals nationwide and applies never-before-used metrics such as racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and community benefit. 

Griffin has been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade through strong performance across metrics of health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care.

Griffin was ranked #1 of 26 hospitals in the state and #118 nationwide for social responsibility.

“It is an honor to receive this recognition and a tribute to our exceptional caregivers for their commitment to Planetree’s patient-centered care principles and Griffin’s values of quality, safety, service, collaboration, innovation and stewardship,” said Griffin Health President and CEO Patrick Charmel. 

“The Griffin Health Board of Directors and administrative leadership appreciate the importance of social responsibility in providing high-quality health care that meets the needs of the community we serve, and in how it ensures that Griffin will continue to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of its residents.”

According to the Index, Griffin received “A” grades for social responsibility, value of care, avoiding overuse, cost efficiency, patient safety, patient outcomes, and clinical outcomes. It also ranked in the state’s top five for overall value and outcomes, and clinical outcomes.

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to include metrics of health equity and value of care alongside patient outcomes, creating a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners. 

In the fourth annual and largest set of rankings to date, the 2023-24 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on 50+ measures--including novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity, and avoidance of overuse--for more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide. 

Data sources include Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms, among others. 

Full methodology can be found on the Lown Index website at https://lownhospitalsindex.org/rankings/our-methodology.

Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute, said the U.S. needs socially responsible hospitals like Griffin.

“When communities have access to socially responsible healthcare, our nation grows stronger,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “That’s why it’s so important to hold up these high-performing hospitals as examples for others to follow.”

The Lown Institute is a nonpartisan think tank that generates bold ideas for a radically better
system of health. 

Learn more about the Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.

About the Lown Institute
Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute believes that a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas towards that goal. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is a signature project of the Institute and features measures never used before like racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.

Learn more at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Griffin Hospital in Derby named Connecticut's most socially responsible

DERBY - Griffin Hospital is Connecticut’s most socially responsible hospital, according to the Lown Institute’s 2022 Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.

The Index is the first ranking to measure social responsibility of more than 3,600 U.S. hospitals nationwide and applies never-before-used metrics such as racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and community benefit. 

Griffin was ranked #1 of 26 hospitals in the state and #157 nationwide for social responsibility.

According to the Index, Griffin received “A” grades for social responsibility, value of care, avoiding overuse, cost efficiency, patient outcomes, and clinical outcomes. It also ranked first in the state for patient outcomes, clinical outcomes and cost efficiency, as well as fourth in value of care and fifth for inclusivity.

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility utilizes more than 50 metrics to assess how well hospitals succeed at being care providers, employers, and community partners. Data sources include Medicare claims, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms, among others. 

The value score reflects hospitals' avoidance of unnecessary care and ability to achieve good outcomes without overspending. Data sources include Medicare claims and Medicare payment data from 2018-2020.

Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute, said the U.S. needs socially responsible hospitals like Griffin.

“These hospitals prove you can save Medicare dollars and deliver great patient outcomes at the same time,” said Dr. Saini. “That’s why it’s so important to lift up these high-performing hospitals as examples for others to follow.”

Learn more about the Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.

About the Lown Institute

Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute believes that a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas towards that goal. 

The Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is a signature project of the Institute and features measures never used before like racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.