For the first time, U.S. News ranks hospitals in health equity. These hospitals earn top honors.

After decades of producing rankings of America’s top hospitals, U.S. News & World Report has released a new analysis measuring hospital performance in a different way.

U.S. News & World Report has released its first ranking of the top hospitals in health equity. More than 50 hospitals were recognized.

For the first time, U.S. News has compiled a ranking of the top hospitals in serving those from disadvantaged communities. The media outlet released its inaugural list of top regional hospitals “for equitable access.” U.S. News released the list Wednesday afternoon as part of an event focusing on health equity.

U.S. News named 53 hospitals who have excelled in caring for those who are underserved. The hospitals are based in 26 states. It is worth noting that nearly half the states don’t have a hospital on the list.

The new rankings reflect another U.S. News product for patients who are increasingly interested in evaluating hospitals and health systems, as they become more informed and discerning consumers. Last month, U.S. News produced its first ranking of ambulatory surgery centers.

Tavia Binger, senior health data analyst at U.S. News, said in a statement that the list is meant to spotlight “the important and necessary work hospitals are doing to improve care for underserved communities.”

“This positive representation of community hospitals' dedication to equitable access

across 26 states is promising,” Binger said in a statement. “However, this recognition also underscores the need for continued focus on prioritizing health care among vulnerable populations who may face numerous social and economic challenges in receiving care.”

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U.S. News chose the 53 hospitals based on several criteria, such as having a substantial portion of their patient base coming from racial or ethnic minorities, a significant number of patients relying on Medicaid, or a high percentage of patients from communities of “socioeconomic deprivation.”

Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News said the list illustrates that “a hospital can both excel in overall quality of care and also provide a substantial amount of that exceptional care to historically underserved communities.” “Recognizing community hospitals that lead in this respect is a modest but necessary step toward ensuring everyone in the U.S. has access to high-quality medical care,” Harder said in a statement.

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Even before these rankings, U.S. News has been considering equity and access in its evaluations of America’s best hospitals.

For the past three years, U.S. News has been incorporating health equity data in its hospital rankings. Last year, U.S. News included more data about outcomes of members of minority groups to gauge the performance of hospitals, Harder told Chief Healthcare Executive® last year. The top hospital rankings include an “Area Deprivation Index” to weigh socio-economic challenges along with outcomes.

“Some of those changes to the equity measures this year came out of conversations that we had with equity experts,” Harder said last year.

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U.S. News acknowledged that other providers are offering quality care to underserved communities, but said the list of 53 hospitals have demonstrated strong performance in ensuring top-notch treatment for the most vulnerable.

Here’s the full list, in alphabetical order.

Adventist Health-White Memorial (Los Angeles)

Advocate Trinity Hospital (Chicago)

Altru Health System-Grand Forks (Grand Forks, N.D.

Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (Medford, Ore.)

Ascension St. Agnes Hospital (Baltimore, Md.)

Ascension St. John Hospital (Detroit, Mich.)

Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Banner-University Medical Center Tucson (Tucson, Ariz.)

Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis, Mo.)

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center (Fayetteville, N.C.)

Carle Foundation Hospital (Urbana, Ill.)

Christian Hospital (St. Louis, Mo.)

Cooper University Health Care-Camden (Camden, N.J.)

Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital (Dearborn, Mich.)

ECU Health Medical Center (Greenville, N.C.)

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

Grady Memorial Hospital (Atlanta, Ga.)

Grand Strand Regional Medical Center (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, Mich.)

Hillcrest Medical Center (Tulsa, Okla.)

Inova Fairfax Hospital (Falls Church, Va.)

Jefferson Health-Stratford, Cherry Hill and Washington Township (Stratford,

N.J.)

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (Baltimore, Md.)

JPS Health Network-Fort Worth (Fort Worth, Texas)

Kaiser Permanente Fontana and Ontario Medical Centers (Fontana, Calif.)

Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center (Sacramento, Calif.)

Lexington Medical Center (West Columbia, S.C.)

Loma Linda University Medical Center (Loma Linda, Calif.)

McLeod Regional Medical Center (Florence, S.C.)

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (Clinton, Md.)

Mercy Hospital Springfield (Springfield, Mo.)

Mercy San Juan Medical Center (Carmichael, Calif.)

Methodist Hospitals of Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.)

Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital (Greensboro, N.C.)

NYC Health and Hospitals-Elmhurst (Elmhurst, N.Y.)

Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center (Lafayette, La.)

Parkland Health-Dallas (Dallas, Texas)

Providence Alaska Medical Center (Anchorage, Alaska)

Providence St. Mary Medical Center (Apple Valley, Calif.)

St. Francis Hospital-Tulsa (Tulsa, Okla.)

St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center (Hartford, Conn.)

Salem Hospital (Salem, Ore.)

Sanford Medical Center Bismarck (Bismarck, N.D.)

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (Chula Vista, Calif.)

TMC Healthcare-Tucson (Tucson, Ariz.)

UAMS Medical Center (Little Rock, Ark.)

UCHealth Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

UF Health Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Fla.)

UMass Memorial Medical Center (Worcester, Mass.)

University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (Birmingham, Ala.)

UNC Hospitals (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven, Conn.)