Island Health receives 5-star honors from CMS

||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HEALTH |||

ANACORTES, Washington — Island Health has earned an overall five-star hospital rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—the highest distinction awarded by the federal agency.

Of the 3,093 hospitals rated by CMS in 2022, 13.81% earned a five-star rating. Island Health is one of seven hospitals in Washington State, and the only hospital north of Seattle, to receive this competitive distinction.

The five-star rating is one of many recent honors for Island Health, including an Outstanding Patient Experience Award in June 2022, the 100 Best Orthopedic Surgery award in 2021 and a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital in 2020. This is the first time that Island Health has received a five-star rating by CMS.

The overall star rating summarizes how a hospital performs on 47 quality measures that are reported to Medicare. These key quality measures fall into five main categories:

· Mortality

· Safety of care

· Readmission

· Patient experience

· Timely and effective care

The overall star rating by CMS, which ranges between one and five with five being the highest, helps patients make informed decisions about their care. Healthcare consumers can easily compare hospitals’ quality and performance on the Medicare Care Compare website.

“The five-star rating reflects Island Health’s commitment to meet the high standards we set for ourselves to provide safe patient care,” said Chief Executive Officer Elise Cutter, MBA. “Our teams work collaboratively with one another and in partnership with our patients each and every day. They never stop striving to be the very best healthcare partner to those we serve. It is a huge honor for our small, independent hospital to be recognized as one of the best healthcare teams in the country.”