Cook County Health’s John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital has been named the #1 most racially inclusive hospital in Illinois and #2 most inclusive hospital in the nation by the Lown Institute Hospitals Index. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the first rankings program to examine the racial inclusivity of America’s hospitals and determine their success at serving the people of color in their communities.

“Cook County is committed to undoing structural racism, whether it be in health care, education, or the judicial system,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “This recognition demonstrates our longstanding efforts to provide high-quality care to all residents of Cook County, regardless of race, immigration status or ability to pay.”

Located on Chicago’s west side, Stroger Hospital serves a diverse urban population and is home to centers of excellence in cardiology, oncology, neurology, and endocrinology. In keeping with Cook County Health’s mission to ensure access to care for all, Stroger Hospital provides more charity care than any other hospital in the State.

“At Cook County Health, we believe that health is a fundamental human right. We are proud to be recognized as one of the most racially inclusive hospitals in the country,” said Israel Rocha, Jr., CEO, Cook County Health. “Being honored for the care we offer only reinforces our 200-year historic mission of ensuring equitable and accessible health care for all.”

As Cook County Health continues its quest for health equity across all of Cook County, the health system has accomplished several notable achievements to improve health equity and mitigate the social risk factors of health, including: growing services at and investing in Provident Hospital on Chicago’s south side; creating the Office of Behavioral Health & Wellness to increase services in Cook County; earning accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care for CCH’s health services at the Cook County Jail and Juvenile Temporary Detention Center; serving as the lead medical provider for comprehensive health screenings for new arrivals coming to Chicago; and finally, founding The Change Institute of Cook County Health which seeks to develop innovative, cohesive strategies to bridge gaps in treatment and prevention among communities of color and underserved populations.

“This national recognition by the Lown Institute Hospitals Index is an outstanding example of how deeply Cook County Health is rooted in our commitment to inclusion, compassion, hope and providing a safe and healing environment for all of our patients,” said Cook County Health Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Shannon Andrews. “We have been doing the work of health justice since our inception and are proud to carry that legacy today in bold and innovative ways.”

The 2023 Lown Institute Hospitals Index racial inclusivity metric measures how well more than 3,000 US hospitals served patients of color, using Medicare data from 2021.

For more information on how the Lown Institute arrived at its rankings, please visit: https://lownhospitalsindex.org/americas-most-racially-inclusive-hospitals-2023/