Tahoe Forest Hospital Rated 5 Stars for Patient Satisfaction (2014-2015)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Releases First Ever Star Ratings for Nation’s Hospitals

Comparison Ratings That Help Consumers Compare and Choose Among Hospitals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded its first star ratings to hospitals based on patient satisfaction. Many of the nation’s best known hospitals received average ratings, while comparatively unknown and local hospitals received the most stars. Tahoe Forest Hospital was one of the few hospitals nationally that received an exceptional 5 star rating.

“This rating validates our commitment to patients and families and is a reflection of the hard work and devotion demonstrated by our employees and physicians on a daily basis,” said Jake Dorst, Interim CEO, Tahoe Forest Health System. “To be able to offer one of the finest patient experiences in the state of California and the nation is truly an extraordinary achievement.”

No other hospital in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area received a 5 star rating, and only 8 hospitals in California received 5 stars. The ratings, published by the CMS public information site, are meant to help consumers compare hospital quality measurements.

Of the more than 3,500 Medicare certified acute care hospitals rated, only 7% were the recipients of a 5 star rating. The Hospital Compare star ratings relate to a patient’s experience of care, and are based on data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS). Ratings include topics such as:

• How well nurses and doctors communicated with patients
• How responsive hospital employees and physicians are to patient needs
• How clean and quiet hospital environments were
• How well patients were prepared for post-hospital settings

The Star Ratings make it easier for consumers to use the information on the Hospital Compare website and spotlight excellence in health care. They also encourage hospitals to strive to continuously improve the patient experience and quality of care delivered to patients. The ratings continue to move the national health care system toward the Affordable Care Act’s call for transparent, easily understood and widely available public quality reporting.