New rankings: Lehigh Valley home to top-15 health network and best teaching hospital in U.S.
COVID-19 made 2020 a challenging year for hospitals everywhere. But new national ratings have given one Lehigh Valley-based health network several reasons to celebrate.
05/11/2021
COVID-19 made 2020 a challenging year for hospitals everywhere. But new national ratings have given one Lehigh Valley-based health network several reasons to celebrate.
St. Luke’s University Health Network rated very highly in a number of categories — and topped the list of teaching hospitals in the nation — in the 2021 IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list published this week by Fortune. The annual rankings compare hospitals of similar sizes in categories including clinical outcomes, patient experience and financial health.
St. Luke’s was named among the nation’s 15 top health systems for the first time, ranking third among medium-sized health systems.
The St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus in Fountain Hill specifically was recognized as the No. 1 major teaching hospital in the country this year, its ninth year in the 100 Top Hospitals list.
The list this year also considered community health and how individual hospitals support the local economy and society. In that measure, St. Luke’s Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township ranked seventh among medium-sized hospitals, and St. Luke’s Miners Campus, near Tamaqua in Schuylkill County, rated 14th nationally among small hospitals.
Only a few other Pennsylvania and New Jersey hospitals got spots on the 100 Top Hospitals list: Main Line Health in Bryn Mawr was fifth among medium health systems; St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh ranked fourth in large community hospitals; and Morristown Medical Center in Morris County, New Jersey, and UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg in central Pennsylvania ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, among major teaching hospitals.
In a news release, St. Luke’s President Rick Anderson credited the network’s integrated systems and staff for achieving national recognition.
“This recognition is especially significant at this time, considering the vital and fundamental role of health systems in the battle against COVID-19,” Anderson said. “I am proud of and grateful for the efforts of our outstanding physicians, nurses and our entire team, including their dedication and commitment to superior patient care during this challenging time.”
Credit: Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. lehighvalleylive.com Published on Posted Apr 28, 2021
