U.S. News & World Report Recognizes Saint Francis Hospital as “Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access”

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Saint Francis Hospital has been recognized for its success as a high performing hospital providing excellent care to patients in underserved communities. The list of “Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access” was revealed on June 5 at an exclusive event, “The State of Equity in America,” held by U.S. News & World Report. Saint Francis is one of just two hospitals in Connecticut to be named to the list and is among 53 hospitals across the country recognized for providing high-quality care to underserved populations. The full list can be seen on the U.S. News website.

“This recognition by U.S. News & World Report underscores the Mission and Core Values of Saint Francis Hospital,” said Valerie Powell-Stafford, President, Saint Francis. “It is part of our Mission to serve as a transforming, healing presence in our community, and this distinction shows our continued commitment to providing equitable, high-quality care and access to wrap-around support at all stages of that care to each and every patient that comes through our doors, including the underserved and most vulnerable members of our community.”

U.S. News identified 53 hospitals that received a Best Regional Hospital designation in 2023 and met at least two of the following criteria: 1) had 40% or more of its patients from a community of greater socioeconomic deprivation (according to the Area Deprivation Index), 2) served 20% or more racial/ethnic minority patients or was the highest tier in at least 1 of 5 measures of racial and ethnic patient representation and 3) served 20% or more Medicaid patients or was in the highest tier in the measure of low-income patient representation.

“The Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access demonstrate by their example that a hospital can both excel in overall quality of care and also provide a substantial amount of that exceptional care to historically underserved communities,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Recognizing community hospitals that lead in this respect is a modest but necessary step toward ensuring everyone in the U.S. has access to high-quality medical care.”

“U.S. News’ recognition of the Best Regional Hospitals for Equitable Access highlights the important and necessary work hospitals are doing to improve care for underserved communities,” said Tavia Binger, senior health data analyst at U.S. News. “This positive representation of community hospitals’

dedication to equitable access across 26 states is promising. However, this recognition also underscores the need for continued focus on prioritizing health care among vulnerable populations who may face numerous social and economic challenges in receiving care.”

A hospital that has earned a “Best” designation may be a good option for people, in consultation with their medical provider, to consider.