MetroHealth Again Recognized as One of Nation’s Most Socially Responsible Hospitals

CLEVELAND, OH - June 23, 2026 - The MetroHealth System has again been recognized as one of nation's most socially responsible hospitals in the 2026-27 Lown Institute Hospitals Index, earning top distinctions for its commitment to community health and evidence-based care.

This year, MetroHealth ranked No. 1 in Ohio for community benefit, racial inclusivity and avoiding overuse. The community benefit metric reflects hospitals' investments in financial assistance, Medicaid services and other community-focused programs. The avoiding overuse category measures how effectively hospitals prevent tests and procedures that offer little or no clinical value. The racial inclusivity metric evaluates how well hospitals serve patients of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in their surrounding communities relative to the local population.

MetroHealth's composite performance in the Lown Index places it in the top 6% of hospitals nationwide. You can review MetroHealth's full scorecard here.

"While other rankings focus on hospital balance sheets, financial growth and other statistics, the Lown Institute focuses on the most important metric: how well hospitals serve their communities," said MetroHealth President and CEO Christine Alexander-Rager, MD. "Thank you, Lown Institute, for recognizing MetroHealth. And thank you, MetroHealth caregivers, for devoting your professional lives to serving our patients, our mission and our community. These distinctions belong to you."

The Lown Institute's analysis draws on millions of publicly available data points to evaluate the performance of more than 3,800 hospitals and health systems across more than 50 metrics spanning health outcomes, value and equity. The full methodology is available here.

MetroHealth has been essential to Greater Cleveland for nearly 200 years. Its community-focused work includes:

• Serving as the region's premier Level I Trauma Center, offering extensive community education and trauma-prevention programs for EMS, police, fire professionals and residents - including Stop the Bleed classes that teach people how to control life-threatening bleeding until help arrives.
• Addressing health-related social needs through the MetroHealth Institute for H.O.P.E., screening patients for challenges such as food access, safe housing, transportation and employment, and connecting them with community partners that can provide support.
• Launching MetroHealth Total Care Connection, which brings personalized care and support directly into neighborhoods through health and enrollment fairs that offer screenings, appointment scheduling, financial-assistance guidance and help enrolling in health insurance.
• Addressing nutrition and food insecurity through the Food as Medicine program, which helps patients use healthy food as part of their treatment.
• Providing care to students through MetroHealth's nationally recognized School Health Program, which serves more than 25 schools in Cuyahoga County and includes community health workers who help families address barriers like housing, food access and transportation.
• Delivering free screenings and medical care through its mobile health team at homeless shelters, supportive housing sites, food pantries and social-service organizations - and partnering with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless to care for Cleveland's unsheltered community.

About The MetroHealth System

Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County's public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than a dozen health centers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.