UTMC Earns 'A' Grade from Lown Institute, Remains Only Hospital in Metro Toledo with Top Rating

The University of Toledo Medical Center has again received an "A" grade in the annual Lown Institute Hospitals Index - remaining the only hospital in the Toledo metro area to earn the top overall rating and placing it among the top 17% of acute care hospitals nationwide for social responsibility.

The Lown Institute, an independent healthcare think tank, evaluates more than 2,600 acute care hospitals nationwide using more than 50 publicly available metrics, measuring not only clinical outcomes but also whether hospitals deliver high-value care, avoid unnecessary procedures and meaningfully serve their communities.

UTMC ranked 23rd among 104 acute care hospitals in Ohio and ranked higher than 83% of acute care hospitals nationwide.

"UToledo Health is unique as Northwest Ohio's only academic health system," said Dr. Charles Callahan, executive vice president for health affairs. "This Lown Institute recognition reflects our team's commitment every day to provide high-quality, compassionate, university-level care to every patient who walks through our doors, regardless of their background or circumstances. From our mobile health unit to our community outreach efforts, UToledo Health is deeply invested in the health of this region, and being the only hospital in metro Toledo to again earn an 'A' grade from the Lown Institute reflects that commitment."

What distinguishes the Lown Institute rankings is what they measure. The index evaluates hospitals not just on clinical performance but on whether they are equitable, efficient and genuinely invested in community health.

UTMC earned an "A" in inclusivity, which measures whether the patients a hospital serves reflect the demographics of its surrounding community, and ranked 13th in Ohio for avoiding overuse, a metric that reflects how well the hospital limits tests and procedures that provide little or no clinical benefit.

UTMC also earned an "A" for outcomes, which not only measures clinical results, but patient safety and patient satisfaction with their hospital experience.

"At The University of Toledo, our commitment to the health and well-being of this region goes far beyond our walls," UToledo President James Holloway said. "Through Healthy Toledo and the work of UToledo Health, we are focused on addressing the root causes of health disparities in our community, and this recognition from the Lown Institute reflects that mission in action."

The Lown Institute has published its Hospitals Index annually since 2020 as a resource for policymakers, researchers, clinicians, community leaders and patients.

Unlike traditional hospital rankings that focus primarily on clinical outcomes, the Lown Institute evaluates hospitals on a broader set of criteria designed to capture their overall impact on the communities they serve. This includes how hospitals invest in community health initiatives, which patients they serve and how equitably they compensate their workforce, factors measured through metrics like racial inclusivity and pay equity to create a more complete picture of a hospital's social responsibility.

A full profile of UTMC's ranking is available on the Lown Institute Hospitals Index website.