Submitted by NorthShore University HealthSystem

NorthShore University HealthSystem has been named to this year’s Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list for a record 22nd time, more than any other hospital or health system in the United States during the award’s 28-year history. NorthShore is also listed as a Top 15 Major Teaching Hospital in the country.

The annual list, which honors excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and financial health, was published by Fortune. “We are incredibly honored to receive this most prestigious national recognition for a record 22 times,” said J.P. Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthShore. “This milestone takes on extra special meaning during an extraordinary year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I congratulate our amazing team of physicians, nurses, and the entire staff who have demonstrated courage and conviction under challenging circumstances to provide our patients and communities with the highest quality care, compassion, and safety. This honor truly reflects their inspiring work ethic and dedication to the patients and communities we serve.”

IBM Watson Health rigorously evaluated nearly 2,700 short-term, acute-care hospitals in the U.S., using multiple data sources to select this year’s winners. The study’s projections indicate that if the performance benchmarks established by this year’s winners were achieved by all U.S. hospitals, the following would be true:  

· More than 79,000 additional lives could be saved in-hospital

· Over 44,000 additional patients could be complication-free

· Over $10.1 billion in inpatient costs could be saved

· The typical patient could be released from the hospital almost a half-day sooner

· Patients could spend 20 fewer minutes per visit in hospital emergency rooms

· Over 34,000 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days.

This year’s ranking also introduces a new measure of hospitals’ contributions to community health and with a focus on equity. As part of the survey, hospitals received credit for meeting a certain number of best practice standards related to community health and preventative care, community partnerships, and hospitals as anchors to support local economic and social progress.

“We are proud of all of the hospitals, health systems, and their dedicated clinicians and staff,” said Irene Dankwa-Mullan, Chief Health Equity Officer and Deputy Chief Health Officer at IBM Watson Health. “They also recognize the importance of contributing to the health of their communities and we applaud them for their programs that help provide equitable quality care and address health disparities.”

NorthShore’s community-connected care initiatives factored into the final rankings.

“Our vision is to be the most trusted and indispensable health partner throughout the communities we serve,” added NorthShore’s Mr. Gallagher. “Whether providing care for the medically underserved, providing women’s health services, or offering specialized programs like mental health services for at-risk youth, we remain committed to establishing, cultivating, and nurturing our community partnerships to serve diverse populations, and strengthen engagement and expansion of care in the process.”

The data used in this year’s Fortune/IBM Watson Health rankings was prior to Swedish Hospital and Northwest Community Healthcare joining the NorthShore family. For more information, visit http://www.100tophospitals.com/.