EvergreenHealth receives five-star rating from Medicare and Medicaid

EvergreenHealth Earns Five-Star CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating

The health system is one of only two in the Puget Sound region to receive high rating

Kirkland, Wash.— EvergreenHealth recently became one of only six hospitals statewide and two within the Puget Sound region to receive a five-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), based on a report published in early 2019.

 

Achieving a five-star rating represents EvergreenHealth’s high scores across a range of quality measures and places it among the top 293 hospitals in the nation for quality.

CMS’ Hospital Compare tool evaluates quality measures in seven key areas to calculate overall ratings for qualifying hospitals, including patient outcomes data such as mortality, safety of care, readmission and efficient use of medical imaging, combined with direct patient feedback on patient experience, effectiveness and timeliness of care. For example, 82 percent of patients reported that their EvergreenHealth physicians always communicated well, and the time patients spent waiting in the emergency department before being admitted to the hospital as an inpatient was measured to be one hour less than the state average.

The overall hospital rating ranges from one to five stars, with more stars reflecting higher performance.

“We are honored to be among the few hospitals in our region to be recognized by CMS for our outcomes. Earning this five-star rating is another reflection of our commitment to provide absolute safety, coupled with exceptional quality, experience and value,” said Amy Beiter, MD, EvergreenHealth CEO.

The new star ratings were published in February after CMS implemented a number of changes to its rating methodology designed to enhance the accuracy of evaluation and reporting criteria. Patients are encouraged to use Hospital Compare as a tool for planning their next hospital visit—for treatment other than emergency care—to compare quality of care at various local hospitals.

Hospital Compare is part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Initiative. The Hospital Quality Initiative uses a variety of tools to help hospitals improve the quality of care they deliver. The aim is to help improve hospitals’ quality of care through easy-to-understand data on hospital performance, and quality information from patient perspectives.

In 2017, EvergreenHealth was one of only 174 hospitals nationwide to be exempt from CMS readmission fines for the upcoming fiscal year for six consecutive years. For more information about EvergreenHealth’s commitment to quality, safety and exceptional care, visit www.evergreenhealth.com/quality.

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About EvergreenHealth

EvergreenHealth is an integrated health care system serving nearly one million residents in King and Snohomish counties with a breadth of services and programs that are among the most comprehensive in the region. Formed as a public hospital district in 1972, EvergreenHealth includes a 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland and a 72-bed hospital, EvergreenHealth Monroe, which is an accredited, full-service public hospital district established in 1960 in Monroe, Washington. The system also includes a network of 13 primary care practices, five urgent care centers, more than two dozen specialty care practices, and 24/7 emergency care from its Kirkland, Monroe, and Redmond locations. 

EvergreenHealth remains committed to its purpose to enrich the health and well-being of the community by providing clinical excellence in more than 80 specialties and through extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by the 24/7 EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline.

The health system is consistently named as one of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals and it is one of only 293 hospitals nationwide to hold a 5-Star Overall Rating from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS).Learn more at www.evergreenhealth.com.