The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the annual Hospital Quality Star Ratings for 2023 and Highland District Hospital (HDH) was awarded four stars, putting it among the top performing hospitals in the country.

“Our entire team has been working tirelessly toward this designation,” said Tim Parry, Highland District Hospital president and CEO. “Our mission is to provide our patients exceptional care and exceptional service, every time. Receiving this designation for quality care and patient experience is just one way we know our efforts to provide the best care in the area are paying off.”

According to CMS, the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating is determined based on a variety of quality and safety measures. There are more than 100 quality measures that are divided into five major categories, including safety of care, patient experience, and readmission rates. CMS utilizes the quality rating to help patients and families make decisions on where to receive care.

The majority of hospitals nationwide are rated three stars or less. On average, only 10.4% of hospitals nationwide achieve a five-star rating each year, and only 17.3% achieve a four-star rating. HDH is one of 803 hospitals nationwide to earn a four-star rating in the most recent survey, which included more than 4,500 hospitals.

“Highland District Hospital was the only hospital in our area to receive this designation,” Parry continued. “Our goal is to not only keep this designation, but work toward the coveted five-star rating by continuing to focus on exceptional care, exceptional service, every time.”

To improve from a three-star rating to a four-star rating, HDH focused on both improving overall quality and the patient experience. The hospital’s strategic plan calls for continued focus on growth to serve the community, providing more community education and outreach, implementing its own internal quality scorecard, focusing on retention, improving emergency room services, and ensuring every patient receives exceptional care and service.

Submitted by Ashlee Cheesbro, marketing manager, Highland District Hospital.