Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ, has been recognized for its social responsibility by the Lown Institute. The medical center received an “A” grade on the 2025-26 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. This achievement highlights Saint Michael’s strong performance in health equity, patient outcomes, and value of care among more than 3,500 hospitals nationwide.
The hospital ranked second among New Jersey’s 14 safety net hospitals and sixth out of the state’s 59 urban hospitals. Nationally, it placed in the top 10% of 414 acute care hospitals.
“This recognition affirms what we have always prioritized – delivering high-quality care to everyone in our community with equity, dignity, and compassion,” said Saint Michael’s CEO Alan Sickles, MD.
“Earning an ‘A’ in social responsibility reflects the work our team does every day, from improving patient outcomes to addressing health disparities and expanding access to care,” Dr. Sickles added. “We’re proud to serve as a trusted resource for Newark and beyond.”
The hospital also excelled in Lown’s equity category for its commitment to inclusion and community health. It earned another A for clinical outcomes, patient safety, and satisfaction.
“Hospitals are facing unprecedented political and financial challenges,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “In this uncertain environment, it’s more important than ever to support the socially responsible hospitals who are delivering high-quality care to all in their community.”
Saint Michael’s has received numerous accolades nationally. It was named one of the top 75 teaching hospitals by the Leapfrog Group and consistently receives high marks for patient safety from both Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades.
The Lown Hospitals Index is unique as it combines metrics of health equity with value of care alongside patient outcomes for over 2,700 acute care and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide.
In its sixth annual rankings for 2025-26, the index evaluates over 50 measures including community benefit and racial inclusivity using data from Medicare claims, CMS patient safety data among others. More information is available on their website at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.
