Samaritan’s Coast Hospitals Earn High Quality Scores September 28, 2022 Employees at the two Samaritan Health Services hospitals in Lincoln County were celebrated the week of Sept. 26 in recognition of their successful effort to improve quality and customer satisfaction, as measured by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Praise was served up in the form of sweet treats and fun activities for staff over four days this week, as a gesture of appreciation by the executive teams at both hospitals in recognition of their four-star scores. On a scale of one to five, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital earned four stars for overall quality and five stars for patient experience. Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital earned four stars in both categories. “This is a big deal for our hospitals, our staff and the community,” said Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of both hospitals. “These ratings represent intentional and focused work toward continued improvement, with guidance by our Quality Improvement department.” In comparing ratings of all 64 Oregon hospitals, Samaritan’s Lincoln City hospital is No. 1 in the state for its patient experience scores and scores 16th for overall quality, or in the top 25%. The CMS analyzes data that is publicly reported and uses a precise methodology to calculate hospitals’ overall quality star ratings. It covers 47 different measures that impact mortality, safety of care, readmission rates, the patient experience and timely and effective care. Additionally, the CMS and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed a consumer assessment tool to standardize data collection and methodology for measuring patients’ perspectives on hospital care, resulting in the patient experience star rating. It covers many topics ranging from nurse and provider communications to the cleanliness and quietness of the hospital environment. Visit cms.gov to learn more about the hospital star ratings.
