ALVARADO ACHIEVES 4 STARS IN NEW GOVERNMENT RATING SYSTEM

ALVARADO ACHIEVES 4 STARS IN NEW GOVERNMENT RATING SYSTEM

07-28-2016By Laura Gilbert

Alvarado Hospital achieved four stars in the new government “Overall
Hospital Quality Star Ratings,” which were released July 27, 2016, on the
Hospital Compare website. Alvarado was one of only two hospitals in the city of San Diego to receive
four stars and is among only 20% of hospitals nationwide to receive this
high rating.

The bulk of hospitals nationwide received three-star ratings.

The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, which Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) describes as “a consumer-oriented website that provides
information on how well hospitals provide care to their patients …
which can help consumers make informed decisions about their healthcare.”

“Our strategy has been focused on our patients’ experience
by focusing on the performance measures that ensures safety, clinical
outcomes and service,” said Alvarado Administrator
Robin Gomez. “The four stars are result of a culture change that requires leadership
and employee engagement in patient these areas.”

The overall rating summarizes up to 64 quality measures reflecting common
conditions that hospitals treat, such as heart attacks or pneumonia, well
as measures that focus on hospital-acquired infections, such as catheter-associated
urinary tract infections. The overall rating shows how well each hospital
performed, on average, compared to other hospitals in the U.S. Hospitals
ratings range from one to five starts; the better the hospital performs,
the more stars it receives.

The methodology uses a statistical model known as a latent variable model.
Seven different latent variable models are used to calculate scores for
seven groups of measures:

Mortality

Safety of Care

Readmissions

Patient Experience

Effectiveness of Care

Timeliness of Care

Efficient Use of Medical Imaging

“We have implemented several new initiatives in 2016 that should
be reflected in next year’s ratings,” added Alvarado Performance
Improvement Coordinator Sacha Ridgway. “Our goal will be to have
five stars by this time next year.”

To see all hospital results and learn more about the methodology,
click here.