St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, Earns National Everest Award for Transformational Progress and Quality Care
(Ontario, Calif., May 26, 2025) – Prime Healthcare’s St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, has received the prestigious Everest Award from Premier Inc., which recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated both exceptional performance and meaningful improvement over a five-year period. Only 17 hospitals nationwide received the distinction in 2025.
St. Francis Medical Center joins a select group of organizations that have shown measurable, marked progress in delivering high-quality, efficient, and compassionate care. This recognition is especially significant given the hospital’s transformation in recent years.
“St. Francis Medical Center’s journey is a direct reflection of our mission to preserve and strengthen community hospitals,” said Sunny Bhatia, MD, President and Chief Medical Officer for Prime Healthcare. “This recognition highlights the hard work of our physicians, nurses, and staff, and reinforces our shared belief that every hospital can thrive with the right support, leadership and commitment.”
When St. Francis joined Prime Healthcare in 2020, the hospital was at risk of closure. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime made a long-term commitment to preserving access to care for the South Los Angeles community, investing nearly $50 million to upgrade facilities, safeguard essential services and support thousands of jobs. Since 2005, Prime has invested over $2.78 billion in hospital improvements nationwide, helping revitalize hospitals like St. Francis with modern infrastructure, advanced technology and expanded clinical capabilities.
“St. Francis has long been a trusted partner of this community, and our doctors, nurses and staff take this to heart, making quality and safety a mainstream focus,” said Clay Farell, CEO of St. Francis Medical Center. “The Everest Award is an affirmation of our team’s commitment to providing exceptional care with compassion and dignity, and we are honored to receive this distinction.”
The Everest Award is based on Premier’s 100 Top Hospitals® scorecard, using objective measures that assess hospitals across clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and financial health.
This award joins a growing list of recognitions St. Francis has earned, including: 2024 & 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Awards™ from Healthgrades
- Five-star ratings for orthopedics, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and critical care
- An “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group
- Top ratings in health equity, patient safety, and inclusivity from the Lown Institute
- Stroke Gold Plus Awards from the American Heart Association
- Certification as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center by The Joint Commission
Prime Healthcare remains committed to strengthening hospitals like St. Francis Medical Center—ensuring they continue to serve their communities for generations to come.
About Prime Healthcare and the Prime Healthcare Foundation
Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 51 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations in 14 states, providing over 2.5 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems, with nearly 57,000 employees and affiliated physicians. Eighteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a 10 Top and 15 Top Health System by Truven Health Analytics. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 72 times and is one of Healthgrades most awarded health systems in the nation for patient safety. To learn more, please visit primehealthcare.com.
