Alvarado Hospital achieved four stars in the new government “Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings,” which were released July 27, 2016, on the Hospital Compare website. Alvarado was one of only two hospitals in the city of San Diego to receive four stars and is among only 20% of hospitals nationwide to receive this high rating.
The bulk of hospitals nationwide received three-star ratings.
The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, which Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) describes as “a consumer-oriented website that provides information on how well hospitals provide care to their patients … which can help consumers make informed decisions about their healthcare.”
“Our strategy has been focused on our patients’ experience by focusing on the performance measures that ensure safety, clinical outcomes, and service,” said Alvarado Administrator Robin Gomez. “The four stars are the result of a culture change that requires leadership and employee engagement inpatient these areas.”
The overall rating summarizes up to 64 quality measures reflecting common conditions that hospitals treat, such as heart attacks or pneumonia, well as measures that focus on hospital-acquired infections, such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The overall rating shows how well each hospital performed, on average, compared to other hospitals in the U.S. Hospitals ratings range from one to five stars; the better the hospital performs, the more stars it receives.
The methodology uses a statistical model known as a latent variable model. Seven different latent variable models are used to calculate scores for seven groups of measures:
- Mortality
- Safety of Care
- Readmissions
- Patient Experience
- Effectiveness of Care
- Timeliness of Care
- Efficient Use of Medical Imaging
“We have implemented several new initiatives in 2016 that should be reflected in next year’s ratings,” added Alvarado Performance Improvement Coordinator Sacha Ridgway. “Our goal will be to have five stars by this time next year.”
To see all hospital results and learn more about the methodology, click here.