(Watertown) Watertown Regional Medical Center recently announced they were awarded five stars in the latest Hospital Quality Star Ratings. The Star Ratings program, released by the Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services, is designed to increase healthcare transparency and help patients and their family members make informed decisions about healthcare. Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings measure hospitals based on their performance across seven quality areas, including: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. The rating puts the Watertown facility among the top 14-percent of all eligible hospitals in the U.S. with respect to patient safety and the overall patient experience. Watertown Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Richard Keddington says their team works to constantly evaluate and improve the quality of care and experiences our patients and their families receive. He adds that they are proud to have received this recognition and look forward to continuing our efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and advance our mission of making communities healthier.
Read the full press release from Watertown Regional Medical Center:
Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) announced that it has been awarded five stars in the latest Hospital Quality Star Ratings released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This rating puts WRMC among the top 14 percent of all eligible hospitals in the U.S. with respect to patient safety and the overall patient experience. Only 455 of the more than 3,300 hospitals rated received five stars.
“Our team works to constantly evaluate and improve the quality of care and experiences our patients and their families receive,” said Richard Keddington, Chief Executive Officer of Watertown Regional Medical Center. “We are so proud to have received this recognition from CMS and look forward to continuing our efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and advance our mission of Making Communities Healthier.”
The Star Ratings program is designed to increase healthcare transparency and help patients and their family members make informed decisions about healthcare. CMS’ Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings measure hospitals based on their performance across seven quality areas, including: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging.
Recently, WRMC has focused on several initiatives aimed at further enhancing the quality of care provided to patients. These initiatives include reviewing and communicating best practices to prevent hospital readmissions, collaborating with long-term care facilities and hospice partners to ensure a smooth transition of care, and leader rounding to make sure patient’s experiences are meeting and exceeding expectations.
In addition to these initiatives, WRMC continues to bring new services to the people of Watertown and the surrounding communities. Within the past 12 months, quality providers have been brought in to provide hepatology services, and pediatric mental health care. Also, WRMC recently started a 24/7 cardiac STEMI (heart attack) care program which is provided by only one other hospital in the 20-mile radius surrounding Watertown.
“We are honored to serve the healthcare needs of our communities,” Richard said. “We thank our providers, clinical teams, and staff for their commitment to our patients and to one another. It is their dedication that made this five-star rating possible and that will continue to drive our quality improvement initiatives going forward.”
For more information on the Star Ratings Program, visit the CMS website at Medicare.gov. For more information on Watertown Regional Medical Center, visit watertownregional.com.
