JACKSONVILLE — Fortune and PINC AI have selected Ascension St. Vincent’s as one of the nation’s Top 15 health systems for 2024, marking the first time it has made the distinguished list.

St. Vincent’s is the only hospital system in Northeast Florida and one of only two in Florida to earn a spot in the 2024 list. The other Florida system in the Top 15 is St. Vincent’s sister Ascension Florida system, Sacred Heart in the Panhandle. St. Vincent’s footprint spans Northeast Florida and includes hospitals in Riverside, Southside, Clay and St. Johns counties.

This year, more than 350 health systems in the United States were assessed for the Top-15 list. This involved an analysis of eight performance indicators, including data on inpatient deaths, patient complications, healthcare-associated infections, operational efficiency and patient experience — all of which are metrics St. Vincent’s outperformed other systems that do not appear in the Top 15.

“St. Vincent’s inclusion on this list is a testament to every associate’s commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered care at our hospitals and facilities,” said Dr. Syed Jafri, Chief Clinical Officer for Ascension Florida. “We are blessed and thankful for our talented teams that have enabled our health system to be honored nationally. We look forward to continuing to serve those who need help the most.”

Additionally, PINC AI estimates that if all health systems performed at the same level as this year’s top performers, it could have saved more than 220,000 additional lives and kept 196,000 patients complication-free during a given year.

Performance rankings like these objectively measure a health system’s ability to deliver consistent, high-performing care across its communities. To view the list of all 15 hospital systems, visit Fortune’s website.

Ascension St. Vincent’s operates four hospitals, more than 90 other care sites, and employs more than 5,300 associates. In fiscal year 2023, Ascension St. Vincent’s provided more than $87.7 million in community benefits and care for impoverished persons. Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the United States's leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, particularly to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.