Belleville Hospital Outpaces Others Nearby In Latest Federal Rating

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville recently earned a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), becoming one of only a handful of hospitals to do so in the area.

On Monday, Clara Maass announced its latest rating from the CMS, a federal agency that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and health insurance portability standards.

The CMS issues hospitals an overall rating that ranges between one and five stars. The rating considers factors such as:

• mortality
• safety of care
• readmission
• patient experience
• timely and effective care

According to the CMS:

“Star ratings can give you information and help you compare hospitals locally and nationwide, but you should consider a variety of factors when choosing a hospital, like physician guidance about your care plan. Along with the overall rating, you should look at other aspects of hospital quality like rates of infection and complications, and patients' experience of care based on survey results.”

This year, the CMS measured data ranging from 2018 through 2021 to reach its final ratings.

Clara Maass had high scores for its 30-day mortality rates following a patient’s release from the hospital and following a heart attack, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clara Maass also scored highly in managing the care of patients who are septic, and in the prevention of a central line bloodstream infection; a catheter-associated urinary tract infection; and Clostridioides difficile or C. diff infection.

According to administrators, Clara Maass was the only hospital in its immediate geographic area to receive four stars and one of only 11 hospitals within a 25-mile radius of Belleville to do so, including New York City.

Clara Maass received the highest rating of any hospital in the RWJBarnabas Health system, which includes nearby facilities in Essex County such as Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

“This accomplishment is an acknowledgement of Clara Maass’ commitment to providing every patient who walks through our doors with safe, effective and high-quality care,” said Mary Ellen Clyne, president and CEO of Clara Maass Medical Center.

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