Falmouth Hospital Gets 5-Star Rating From Federal Government

FALMOUTH, MA — Falmouth Hospital was recognized by the federal government, earning a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The hospital was one of only 407 hospital in the U.S. to receive the honor.

This was Falmouth Hospital's first year earning a five-star rating. More than 4,500 hospital nationwide were assessed by the centers.

The hospital also received an "A" patient safety rating from the Leap Frog Group this past fall. Cape Cod Hospital also received a five-star rating from the federal government.

"Delivering the highest quality patient care is at the center of all we do at Cape Cod Healthcare" Cape Cod Healthcare president Michael K. Lauf said. "Our physicians, nurses, technicians, quality control staff, environmental services and others at Falmouth Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital have worked tirelessly to build patient-centered culture focused on zero-harm and high reliability. This commitment to a standard of excellence in patient care was recognized in two successful evaluations by Joint Commission this year and these 5-star ratings from CMS reinforce this commitment."

The center's ratings system was created to help healthcare consumers choose the best hospital for their care. The ratings summarize a variety of measures across seven areas of quality into a star rating for each hospital. Hospitals report data to be considered in their rating through a vehicle known as the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program.

The evidence-based methodology calculates scores for seven groups of measures, including, in order of statistical weight:

• Mortality
• Readmission
• Safety of Care
• Patient Experience
• Effectiveness of Care
• Timeliness of Care
• Efficient Use of Medical Imaging

The rating process is complex, with some measures carrying more weight than others and each individual marker being assessed on numerous indicators. Star ratings range from one to five, with the majority falling in the three to four-star range.