Lown Institute, a nonpartisan healthcare think tank, has named West Valley Medical Center the most racially inclusive hospital in Idaho.
“We are honored to once again learn we have earned this ranking. It further illustrates our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that has been a long tradition at West Valley," said Travis Leach, chief executive officer, West Valley Medical Center. "We remain committed to fostering an engaged and inclusive culture for our patients, for our colleagues, and for our communities."
The report measured how 3,100 U.S. hospitals served people of color in their surrounding communities. It was based on traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage claims and the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey from 2021.
Lown said each hospital's racial inclusivity score "reflects how well the demographics of the hospital's 'community area' (containing people who the hospital could serve) compare to the demographics of the patient population (who the hospital does serve)." The community area is based on the ZIP code tabulation area from which a hospital's Medicare patients come and includes a travel time adjustment. Researchers used census data to determine the proportions of racial/ethnic groups in the 65+ population in both the hospital patient population and community area.
Racially inclusive hospitals served more patients of color than expected based on the demographics of their service area. More information about the methodology is available on the Lown Institute's website.
You can view the entire list of hospitals in each state, recognized by the Lown Institute, on Becker's Hospital Review, on the Becker's Hospital Review website.