Erie County Medical Center has been named among the top 50 hospitals in the United States for racial inclusivity.
The Lown Hospital Index has developed the first ranking to examine the racial inclusivity of over 3,200 hospitals in the country to assess their success at serving the people of color living in their communities.
Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute, based in Boston, advances civic leadership, accountability, and value in health care. The institute believes a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas to that aim. The Lown Hospitals Index, a signature project of the Institute, is the first hospital ranking focused on civic leadership and includes measures like inclusivity by race, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.
“ECMC continues to prioritize racial diversity, equity and inclusion, both in the care of our patients and the composition of our workforce. This national ranking by the prestigious Lown Institute is gratifying and affirms our focus on strengthening ECMC’s leadership in programs and policies that promote racial equity and inclusivity,” said Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., Ph.D., ECMC president and CEO.
“In 2018, we formally created the office of diversity, equity and inclusion within our institution, reporting directly to the office of the CEO to ensure the comprehensive development and implementation of programs and initiatives to benefit our diverse workforce. In addition, we are proud of our foundational support of the community-based African-American Health Equity Task Force, reinforcing ECMC’s commitment to initiatives that contribute to a more equitable, inclusive and healthy community,” said Quatroche Jr.