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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated data on the Hospital Compare website and on data.medicare.gov to provide patients, families and all stakeholders with the information needed to compare the performance of hospitals where they seek medical care. Along with data on quality measures, CMS will also update the Overall Hospital Star Rating.

Two Prime Healthcare facilities in the area, Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., and Saint John Hospital, Leavenworth, Kan., both received the coveted five-star rating.

“The star award is given based on metrics such as mortality, readmission, patient safety and patient experience,” said Roni Griffith RN, BSN, CPHQ, Performance Improvement Director. “Our hospitals were two out of only 10 in the state of Kansas to receive the five-star recognition.

“This rating demonstrates our hospitals’ commitment to patient safety and quality,” she added.

Hospital Compare (https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html) reports information on quality measures for over 4,000 hospitals nationwide, including Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Centers and military hospitals. The website provides information for patients and caregivers on how well hospitals deliver care and encourages hospitals to improve the quality of care provided. Users can compare performance across many common conditions.

For this update, CMS responds to stakeholder concerns by updating several existing measures and the Overall Star Rating. The Overall Star Rating has been revised refreshing assign ratings to hospitals, based on Technical Expert Panel recommendations and public input. “We continue to refine the Star Ratings and look forward to an ongoing dialogue with hospitals and patients and their families on how we can provide beneficiaries useful information,” Seema Verma, CMS Administrator, said.

CMS’s Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating on Hospital Compare is updated twice per year, in July and December. CMS is committed to working with stakeholders in a transparent manner to evaluate and update the Overall Star Rating.

As a proven healthcare consumer tool, the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating summarizes data from existing measures on Hospital Compare for each hospital to allow users to easily compare hospital facilities. In addition, with data.medicare.gov, users can explore and download hospital data, as well as data on ambulatory surgical centers, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and some cancer hospitals.

As part of the December update, CMS posted supporting documents related to the Star Ratings on www.qualitynet.org.