GA Hospitals Rank among Worst in Federal Data; Check if Your Hospital Makes the List
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently unveiled the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings for healthcare facilities across the United States. These ratings measure a hospital's performance across several areas, including treating heart attacks and pneumonia, readmission rates, and safety of care.
In Georgia, several hospitals received one-star ratings, which represents about 6% of hospitals nationwide earning this designation. Among them are Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center - Rome, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center - Americus, Southeast Georgia Health System - Brunswick Campus, Memorial Hospital and Manor - Savannah, and Wellstar McG Health, Affiliated With Med Col - Augusta. Navicent Health Baldwin - Milledgeville and Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown - Columbus also received one-star ratings.
However, not all hospitals in Georgia fared poorly. Memorial Health Meadows Hospital - Vidalia and Adventhealth Murray - Chatsworth both received five-star ratings, with the latter also scoring high in patient surveys. St Mary's Hospital - Athens also received a positive patient survey rating of 3 stars.
Piedmont Columbus Regional Northside - Columbus, on the other hand, received five stars overall but only 3 stars in patient surveys. Houston Healthcare - Perry, another Georgian facility, received five stars overall but its patient survey rating is not currently available.
The CMS calculates these overall hospital star ratings based on an analysis of approximately 45 quality measures grouped into five broad categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission rates, patient experience (often including HCAHPS scores), and timely and effective care. These metrics evaluate outcomes, processes, and patient-reported experience to generate a summary quality score for hospitals.
Patients were also surveyed about their hospital experience, including communication with nurses and doctors, responsiveness of staff, cleanliness, and quietness of the hospital environment. Piedmont Eastside Medical Center - Snellville, for instance, scored one star overall and two stars in patient surveys.
It's important to note that these ratings provide valuable insights into the quality of care offered by hospitals, but they should not be the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Patients should also consider factors such as location, specialty services, and personal preferences when making healthcare decisions.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that Georgia hospitals deliver over $1.5 billion in community support annually, underscoring their significant role in the state's healthcare landscape. These ratings offer a comprehensive view of hospital performance and can help patients make informed decisions about their care.
