Belton, MO. – Belton Regional Medical Center – part of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City’s leading healthcare provider — has been named top hospital in the Kansas City, Missouri, region by the Lown Institute in its Lown Institute Hospitals Index. The healthcare think tank was founded by cardiologist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown.

The new index honors hospitals for both their excellence in serving individual patients and for their role in advancing equity in their communities. It is the first ranking of its kind to include metrics like inclusivity, pay equity, avoiding overuse and civic leadership in evaluating hospital performance.

“At a time when communities are relying on them like never before, hospitals must rethink what it means to be great,” says Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute. “COVID-19 highlights how hospitals are essential community partners for anyone in need. To be great, however, a hospital cannot only provide care that’s high in quality. It must also deliver value and advance equality. Our index is designed to help them do just that.”

The Lown Institute Hospitals Index shows how nearly 3,300 U.S. hospitals compare on 42 performance indicators. The measures fall under three categories:

  • Civic Leadership, which assesses a commitment to equity, inclusion and community health;
  • Value of Care, which measures use of unnecessary services; and
  • Patient Outcomes, which evaluates patient safety, satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

We are honored to receive this recognition, as we know our commitment to our community extends beyond these hospital walls,” says Belton Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Todd Krass. “This ranking reflects our dedication to the improvement of human life by providing high-quality care to the members of our community. We are grateful for what this recognition means for our team and community.”

The Lown Index results are available at Lown Hospitals Index, where people can compare hospitals based on location, hospital type and metric. It is also the data source for the Washington Monthly’s “Best Hospitals for America” issue, released simultaneously.

The index uses data from a wide variety of sources, including the 100 percent Medicare claims datasets (MEDPAR and outpatient), Internal Revenue Service pulled from Community Benefit Insight database, Healthcare Cost Report Information System administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, public records, Bureau of Labor Statistics and other databases.

For more information about Belton Regional Medical Center and its family of services, please visit Belton Regional Medical Center.

About Belton Regional Medical Center

Belton Regional Medical Center—part of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City’s leading healthcare provider—is conveniently located at Highways 71 and 58 in Belton, Missouri, is a 71-bed acute care hospital offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient services. Established in 1984, Belton Regional Medical Center’s mission is to provide the citizens of southern Jackson and northern Cass counties access to critical health resources. Our highly qualified physicians and skilled health professionals, dedicated to our community, make it possible to meet this mission. For more information, about Belton Regional Medical Center visit Belton Regional Medical Center.

About HCA Midwest Health

HCA Midwest Health is the Kansas City area’s leading healthcare provider consisting of seven hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers and an array of other services to meet the healthcare needs of the greater Kansas City area. HCA Midwest Health is also one of the area’s largest private sector employers with more than 9,000 employees, the largest provider of charity and uncompensated care, and annually donates more than $1.2 million to local charities. Since April 2003, HCA Midwest Health has invested more than $845 million to enhance and expand patient services and has paid more than $216 million in taxes to local communities. HCA Midwest Health facilities serving the Kansas City area include Allen County Regional Hospital, Belton Regional Medical Center, Cass Regional Medical Center, Centerpoint Medical Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lee's Summit Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Research Medical Center and Research Psychiatric Center. Midwest Physicians, which is part of HCA Midwest Health, is a network of experienced, multi-specialty physicians located throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Midwest Physicians currently represents 346 physicians, including 142 primary care providers and 199 specialists with 80 physician practices providing care in 145 locations to serve the community. The physicians, licensed professionals and support staff who comprise the HCA Midwest Health team are dedicated to improving healthcare in the Greater Kansas City and outlying areas. For more information, visit HCA Midwest.

About The Lown Institute

Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, M.D., developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute focuses on health care issues such as medical overuse and underuse, health equity, and cost of care. The Institute believes a radically better system of health is possible and advances bold ideas to achieve this. Learn more at Lown Institute.