St. Mary’s Hospital earns high marks

St. Mary’s Hospital, part of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, has earned “A” grades in four areas on the Lown Institute’s 2025–26 Hospitals Index: Pay Equity, Health Equity, Patient Safety and Inclusivity.

Out of more than 3,500 hospitals evaluated nationwide, Kankakee-based St. Mary’s stands out for its commitment to delivering high-quality, equitable care.

St. Mary’s was also named one of the Top Five Hospitals in Illinois for Pay Equity, which evaluates the ratio of executive compensation to wages for frontline staff without advanced degrees.

“Hospitals are facing unprecedented political and financial challenges,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “In this uncertain environment, it’s more important than ever to support socially responsible hospitals that are delivering high-quality care to all in their community.”

“This recognition from the Lown Institute reflects our continued focus on delivering safe, equitable care to all we serve,” said Kalisha Hill, MD, Chief Medical Officer at St. Mary’s. “We remain committed to building trust with our patients through compassion, quality, and accountability.”

St. Mary’s received “A” grades in the following categories:

• Pay Equity – Executive pay compared to non-clinical staff wages

• Health Equity – Cost efficiency and avoidance of low-value care

• Patient Safety – Safety indicators, infection rates, and adverse events

• Inclusivity – Service across income, race, and education levels

These latest honors follow a series of recent accolades that recognize St. Mary’s for its quality and safety.

The hospital received the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award for the second year in a row (2024–2025), placing it among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide.

St. Mary’s also earned its third consecutive “A” grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. Together, these recognitions highlight a strong, sustained commitment to patient-centered, high-quality care.

Long a Catholic-operated hospital, St. Mary’s is now part of California-based Prime Healthcare, having formally taken ownership of the hospital on March 1.

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to combine metrics of health equity and value of care alongside patient outcomes, for more than 2,700 acute care and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide, offering a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners.

In the sixth annual rankings, the 2025-26 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.

The Lown Institute is described as an independent think tank that advocates for ideas to create a just and caring health system.