CMS Updates Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings For 2019

After postponing updates for two years in a row to accommodate changes in its rating methodology, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released an update for its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings this past February. The rating list strives to summarize information for consumers regarding the quality of care for over 4,500 hospitals throughout the country. Each hospital is rated on a scale of one to five stars, from worst to best.

The rating system relies on publically-reported data compiled by CMS’ Hospital Compare system. The Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating takes the Hospital Compare data and presents it in a way that is both simple and easy to understand.

To determine ratings, CMSmeasures the following characteristics of a hospital:

“Mortality
Safety of care
Readmission
Patient experience
Effectiveness of care
Timeliness of care
Efficient use of medical imaging”

CMS derives a summary score by factoring the weighted average of the above categories. Importantly, not all hospitals report data to CMS regarding the above measures. As a result, some hospitals are not eligible to receive an overall quality star rating.

Results of the Hospital Ratings Update

According to the ratings update, 282 of the 4,500 hospitals that CMS evaluated warranted a one-star rating.

In Maryland, the following six hospitals received a rating of only one star:

MedStar Southern Marland Hospital Center in Clinton
University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre De Grace
University of Maryland Laurel Regional Hospital
University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore
University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly
Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland

Consult an Experienced Attorney from Brown & Barron

Have you been seriously injured as a result of the negligent actions of a healthcare provider, such as a doctor, nurse, hospital, or hospital staff member? If so, you might be entitled to a legal remedy for the monetary losses you incurred as a result. At Brown & Barron, our team of experienced attorneys has years of experience handling issues involving injuries resulting from a healthcare provider’s failure to comply with the applicable medical standard of care.

Call us at (410) 698-1717 for a free initial consultation about your legal rights and options. We are available 24/7 to hear about your case.