GAINESVILLE, TX – On July 26, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced their Star Ratings for 2023. North Texas Medical Center was one of only two acute care, non-specialty hospitals in Texas awarded a 5-Star rating for both Overall Star Rating and Patient Survey Rating.
A total of nine hospitals in Texas received five stars in both Overall Star Rating and Patient Survey Rating. Five of those are specialty hospitals such as heart or orthopedic hospitals, two are critical access hospitals and two (including NTMC) are acute care, non-specialty hospitals. Of the 4,654 hospitals nationwide, only 67 received five-star ratings for both Overall Star Rating and Patient Survey Rating.
“This honor is the result of a sustained commitment to delivering safe, high quality and compassionate care by our staff and physicians,” said NTMC CEO Tom Sledge. “We are extremely proud to earn this rating, especially considering that much of the measured data came from when we were in the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Bonnie Hess, NTMC Chief Nursing Officer added, “No hospital can be perfect in every way, but we continually strive to improve and provide the best care possible while treating our patients and visitors with the courtesy and respect they deserve.”
The CMS Overall Star Rating ranges from one to five stars, with more stars reflecting higher performance. Obtaining a five-star rating is achieved by earning the highest scores across a range of quality measures and patient satisfaction metrics.
The CMS Hospital Compare tool evaluates five key areas to calculate overall ratings. These areas are patient outcomes data such as mortality, safety of care, and readmission rate, combined with direct patient feedback on patient experience and the effectiveness and timeliness of care. For more information about CMS Hospital Compare, please visit: www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
“Earning this distinction as a rural hospital is especially meaningful,” Sledge added.” Many times, the level of quality at rural hospitals is not perceived to be as good as the care at larger, metropolitan hospitals. Achieving this recognition proves that a rural hospital like North Texas Medical Center is capable of providing the highest level of care.”
