St. Luke’s University Health Network has earned an “A” grade on the 2026-27 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility, placing it among the top health systems nationally for overall commitment to health equity, value and outcomes.
More than 3,600 U.S. hospitals and 300 systems are included in the ranking by the Lown Institute, an independent health care think tank in Massachusetts.
In addition, St. Luke’s was #1 among health systems in the nation for patient outcomes and among the top 10 for social responsibility and the top 10 for patient satisfaction.
“This report’s findings reflect St. Luke’s dedication to expand access to our Network’s world-class, outcomes-driven quality care,” said St. Luke’s Vice President of Community Health Rajika Reed, PhD., MPH, M.Ed. “As the Lehigh Valley’s only locally based, independent health care network, proudly caring for those in need for over 150 years, we are fully committed to and invested in advancing the wellbeing of our communities. Truly equitable health systems provide support and access to exceptional care while reaching all sectors of the community.”
As a health system, St. Luke’s received straight A grades in all of the major categories:
- Social Responsibility
- Health Equity
- Value of Care
- Patient Outcomes
- Clinical Outcomes
- Patient Safety
- Patient Satisfaction
- Inclusivity
- Cost Efficiency
Unlike traditional hospital rankings that focus heavily on prestige and technology, the Lown Index includes measures of how well hospitals serve their communities, including how equitably care is delivered, how hospitals invest in their surrounding populations, and whether patients receive high-value care that avoids unnecessary procedures.
“The best hospitals aren’t just clinically excellent; they’re deeply committed to the communities they serve and work hard to ensure all patients get the care they need. The Lown Index exists to ensure those hospitals are noticed and celebrated,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute.
Seven of St. Luke’s hospitals achieved Honor Roll status.:
- St. Luke’s University Hospital (which includes Bethlehem, Allentown and Sacred Heart campuses)
- St. Luke’s Easton Campus
- St. Luke’s Miners Campus
- St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus
- St. Luke’s Warren Campus
- St. Luke’s Carbon Campus
- St. Luke’s Grand View Campus
Fewer than 5% of hospitals evaluated received Honor Roll status, placing these hospitals among a select group of top performers delivering exceptional care while advancing health equity and value.
Other highlights include:
- St. Luke’s Easton Campus ranked #1 out of 115 acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania and 8th nationally on the social responsibility metric. The hospital also ranked #1 in the state for health equity.
- St. Luke’s Anderson Campus ranked #1 in Pennsylvania for patient outcomes and patient safety, as well as among the top five for value of care, avoiding overuse and cost efficiency metrics.
Media Contact:
Sam Kennedy, Corporate Communications Director, 484-526-4134, samuel.kennedy@sluhn.org
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4.5 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.
The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital is based at the Bethlehem Campus.
Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest continuously operated School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 60+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 550+ residents and fellows. Additionally, the St. Luke’s College of Health Sciences opened in 2026.
In 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked St. Luke’s #1 – ahead of Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic, two of the nation’s most prestigious institutions – as the nation’s top health system for quality, safety and patient experience. This objective recognition, based on public data reported to the government, reaffirms St. Luke’s preeminent position as THE BEST OF THE BEST among the most respected health care systems in the United States.
St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. In 2026, all of the Network’s eligible hospital campuses were awarded Medicare’s highest ratings for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. The Network also earned straight A’s for safety from Leapfrog across all of its acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 12 years in a row, including in 2026 when the Network was identified as THE #1 MEDIUM-SIZE HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.
Information provided to TVL by:
Sam Kennedy
