Dell Seton Medical Center Ranked Most Socially Responsible Hospital

Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas has been ranked No. 1 in the state in the Most Socially Responsible U.S. Hospitals report by Massachusetts-based think tank the Lown Institute. The Lown Institute’s list ranks more than 3,600 U.S. hospitals based on more than 50 metrics across categories of equity, value of care and patient outcomes. Metrics fall under the following components: inclusivity, pay equity, community benefit, avoiding overuse, cost efficiency, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and patient safety.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Lown Institute as one of the top socially responsible hospitals,” said Adam Messer, president of Dell Seton Medical Center. “As the safety net hospital for Travis County and the Central Texas region, our focus is to deliver compassionate care to all, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. To be acknowledged for our hospital’s commitment to health equity and civic leadership is a testament to the work of our caregivers and associates in advancing our Ascension mission.”

Dell Seton Medical Center serves a vital role in the region as the only adult Level I Trauma Center (serving an 11-county area) in Central Texas. As the Travis County safety net hospital, it serves community members with the greatest needs and least resources. Since opening in May 2017, the Dell Seton Medical Center has completed 615,537 patient encounters, performed 61,304 surgeries and had 454,362 emergency room visits. Between 60-70% of patients at Dell Seton are un- or under-insured.

On average, Ascension Texas provides $540 million annually in charity care and community benefit across Central Texas. Additionally, ongoing expansions of Dell Seton Medical Center reflect a continuation of Ascension Seton’s 120-year commitment to serving the Travis County community with special attention to the poor and vulnerable population. Ascension Seton recently announced a $280 million investment to effectively double the size of Dell Seton Medical Center.

“Good hospitals make their patients healthier, but socially responsible hospitals make their communities healthier too,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “These are the hospitals America needs right now—hospitals that can set and achieve ambitious goals for serving their entire community.”

This is the fourth year of the Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. This year, Medicare Advantage claims were included for the first time, according to the think tank. Lown used publicly available data from traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS hospital cost reports, Internal Revenue Service Form 990, and other sources for the rankings.

About Ascension Texas
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence in Waco and Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Ascension Seton partners with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for more than 120 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., operating 2,600 sites of care – including 139 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org and ascension.org/dellchildrens.

About the Lown Institute
Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute believes that a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas towards that goal. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is a signature project of the Institute and features measures never used before like racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.