CHA Named #1 in Massachusetts for Serving Its Community
Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank, recognized CHA for its contributions to community health and well-being
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville and Boston's metro-north communities, has been recognized for its contributions to community health and well-being in the 2024-25 Hospital Index for Social Responsibility. This annual national ranking is generated by the Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank. CHA earned an "A" grade, was ranked the number one hospital in Massachusetts, and was one of the top 20 hospitals nationally for Community Benefit. This was a result of CHA's community health initiatives -- including work to address food insecurity, referrals for social needs, and health equity programs – and the amount of care provided to low-income patients.
CHA performed well in other Index measures of hospital performance. In the most recent rankings of Inclusivity, which measure hospitals' success in caring for low income, low educational status, and people of color in their catchment areas, CHA earned an A grade and ranked second in Massachusetts and in the top 50 nationally. CHA also received A grades for Health Equity, Value of Care, and Avoiding Overuse (a measure of a hospital's delivery of commonly overused and unnecessary procedures), ranking second in Massachusetts for Health Equity and Avoiding Overuse. These are independent rankings and hospitals do not apply or pay to be listed.
"Community health is an essential component of our mission to serve our communities," said Assaad Sayah, MD, CEO of Cambridge Health Alliance. "This recognition validates our extensive efforts to engage people where they live and work to improve their collective health."
CHA's community focus extends across a wide range of population health, public health, and community health programs and initiatives. Examples include:
- CHA's Community Health Worker (CHW) program trains and supports staff and community volunteers who are culturally and linguistically diverse to bring health information to underserved and hard-to-reach populations. CHWs have played a critical role in CHA's Community Health programming, which brings vaccinations, health education, and healthcare access to hard-to-reach populations in local communities.
- CHA's Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHC), located at CHA Cambridge Hospital and CHA Malden Care Center, offer behavioral health care designed to expand access to routine, urgent, and crisis treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Services include a 24-hour Access and Crisis Line, Urgent Care, open daily, and a 24/7 mobile crisis services in individuals' homes, schools, or other community locations.
- CHA's Department of Community Health, which works collaboratively with healthcare providers, residents, community based organizations and city leaders to assess community health status, identify challenged areas, build action plans, and provide leadership around health issues that impact the community.
- The CHA Revere Care Center's Mobile Market provides fresh produce and other staples to families facing food insecurity. Created in partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank, Tufts Health Plan and other community partners, distributed more than 100,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious food to families over the past year.
- CHA's primary service area includes some of the most racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse municipalities in Massachusetts, with 44 percent of CHA patients speaking a language other than English. To respond to their linguistic and cultural needs, CHA has established one of the most advanced multilingual interpreter programs in the nation. Additionally, providing pathways to healthcare careers for underrepresented communities is a major area of focus for CHA.
"Great care is only great if everyone can access it," said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown
Institute. "We need hospitals to be strong community partners—and these hospitals at the top on our list are showing the way."
The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to include metrics of health equity and value of care alongside patient outcomes, creating a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners. In the fifth annual rankings, the 2024-25 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on over 50 measures including novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity, and avoidance of overuse. Data sources include Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms, among others. Full methodology can be found on the Lown Index website.
The Lown Institute is a nonpartisan think tank that generates bold ideas for a radically better system of health. Learn more at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.