MONROE — Monroe Clinic is one of only 293 hospitals nationwide to achieve a 5-star ranking from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in a review process that included over 4,500 hospitals. 

CMS has been providing the Hospital Compare tool on its website, Medicare.gov, since 2005. The database allows visitors to enter a zip code then search and compare ratings from area hospitals. The tool includes an overall star rating of each hospital, as well as individual ratings for specific quality factors, including patient experience, safety, effectiveness of care, patient re-admissions, efficient use of medical imaging, timeliness of care and mortality. The CMS system uses a star rating similar to that used by service industries where consumers choose a high number of stars to indicate the best experience possible. 

The 2019 CMS designation by ranking of the 4,500 hospitals breaks out as follows: One star (lowest performing): 282 hospitals; two stars: 800 hospitals; three stars: 1,264 hospitals; four stars: 1,086 hospitals; and five stars (highest performing): 293 hospitals.

Such achievement recognitions serve a purpose in the healthcare industry, says Chelsea Hardacre, Monroe Clinic Quality Director. Hardacre explains the Hospital Compare database has a direct and multi-dimensional impact on patients and the care they receive.