South Baldwin Regional Medical Center Receives 5-Star Rating by CMS
1/29/2020
Foley, Alabama (January, 29, 2020) – The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released updated Medicare overall hospital quality star ratings on its Hospital Compare website. South Baldwin Regional Medical Center was the only area hospital to receive a 5-star rating, the highest a facility can receive.
The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings were first published in July 2016, when CMS, along with key stakeholders, developed the methodology to calculate and display overall hospital-level quality using a star rating system. This was done to make it easier to use and understand the information posted on Hospital Compare, a website designed for consumers to use along with their healthcare provider to make decisions on where to receive care.
“This multi-year journey is a credit to the dedication and collaborative efforts of the entire South Baldwin Regional Medical Center team,” states Dr. Craig Brown, Chief of Staff for SBRMC. “This is no easy task with less than 3% of hospitals in the state of Alabama receiving the 5-star designation. The entire team is to be commended.”
Several standards were improved at the hospital for it to move from 3-star to 5-star. Timeliness of care was improved through the facility’s 30-minute ER service pledge and the admissions process was made more efficient. Through a collaborative effort with non-hospital health care providers and Long Term Care facilities, re-admission rates have decreased. Additionally, hourly rounding on patients by hospital staff and offering bed-side shift reports have increased the satisfaction of patients.
“The Star Ratings Program is great in that is makes it easier for the consumer to make informed decisions regarding the hospital they choose for care,” states Daniel McKinney, CEO of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. “The high quality care SBRMC offers is a team effort between the entire hospital staff and our physicians and I could not be more proud of the way our patients are cared for.”
Hospital Compare presents information on more than 50 quality measures at over 5,000 hospitals and the star ratings scores are updated on a bi-annual basis on the Hospital Compare website. Quality measures are related to mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care and efficient use of medical imaging for common conditions that hospitals treat.
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