TAMC Earns 4 Stars In The New CMS Rating System

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released results of their new Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating that reflects comprehensive quality information about the care provided at hospitals nationwide.  TAMC earned 4 stars, the highest rating of any Maine hospital.

The Star Rating takes 64 existing quality measures already reported on CMS’ consumer-oriented website, Hospital Compare, that helps people make informed decisions about healthcare. The new rating system summarizes these measures into a unified rating of one to five stars.  The rating is based on a combination of many hospital quality measures, including those involving process of care, outcomes of care, patient experience, patient safety and value.

Glenda Dwyer, interim president of TAMC said about the 4 stars:

This rating emphasizes TAMC’s commitment to patient experience, patient safety, and high quality care. It reaffirms the quality and safety rankings that we have earned from other national organizations, such as Avatar and Leapfrog.”

Nationwide, only about 2% of hospitals earned that distinction of a 5 star rating (102 out of 4,599 hospitals), and none of those were in Maine.  However, nearly half of Maine hospitals (16 out of 33) were given a 4 star rating, including TAMC.  Joining TAMC with this rating in Aroostook County are Northern Maine Medical Center and Houlton Regional Hospital.

It speaks volumes about the quality of healthcare in Maine that we are more than double the national average for 4 and 5 stars combined,” said Dr. Jay Reynolds, chief medical officer at TAMC. “While nationwide, 23% earned a 4 or a 5 star rating, in Maine 48% of hospitals have that distinction.  In our EMHS system, that number is even higher at 57%.”

Cherri Fitzpatrick, chief quality officer at TAMC said:

 As someone who grew up in this area, it’s important to me that family, friends and neighbors understand the exceptionally high quality and empathetic care available to them here in Aroostook County. This rating system will more easily help them see that.”

Fitzpatrick credits the entire TAMC team for the 4 star rating. “This achievement could not have been realized without outstanding teamwork and engagement across TAMC medical staff, nursing, ancillary and support staff, and leadership, including our Board of Trustees,” she said.

To learn more about the CMS Star Ratings, go to www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare.