Higher accolades in Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ star ratings system tend to go to specialty hospitals rather than major teaching hospitals, according to Modern Healthcare.
With the help of a consulting firm, the publication analyzed the most recent data and found that 61 percent of specialty hospitals received five stars—the highest-possible rating. Meanwhile, only 15 of the 172 major teaching hospitals, or about nine percent, received five stars.
The star ratings is CMS’ attempt to boil down a lot of data into a format that consumers can digest. It’s based on a formula that takes into account up to 57 measures, which break down into seven categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. The first four categories are evenly weighted to make up 88 percent of the overall rating, while the latter three make up the remaining 12 percent.
But, as MH points out, a hospital only needs to submit measures in three of the seven categories in order to qualify for a rating; CMS adjusts the weighting according to the data submitted.
According to CMS’ comparison tool, here’s how hospitals in North Texas’ four largest counties were rated:
Collin County
5 stars:
• Baylor Medical Center at Frisco
• The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano
4 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center McKinney
• Methodist McKinney Hospital
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen
3 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Centennial
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano
2 stars:
• Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano
• Medical Center of McKinney
• Medical Center of Plano
• Methodist Richardson Medical Center
Dallas County
5 stars:
• Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital
• Methodist Hospital for Surgery
• North Central Surgical Center LLP
4 stars:
• Baylor Medical Center at Irving
• Medical City Dallas
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas
• UT Southwestern University Hospital
• UT Southwestern University Hospital – Zale Lipshy
3 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Grapevine
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Garland
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Sunnyvale
• Baylor University Medical Center
• Dallas Medical Center
• Las Colinas Medical Center
• Methodist Charlton Medical Center
• Methodist Dallas Medical Center
2 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center White Rock
• Methodist Richardson Medical Center
• Walnut Hill Medical Center
1 star:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Lake Pointe
• Dallas Regional Medical Center
• Parkland Health and Hospital System
Denton County
5 stars:
• The Heart Hospital Baylor Denton
4 stars:
• Denton Regional Medical Center
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound
3 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Carrollton
• Medical Center of Lewisville
• Medical City Alliance
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano
2 stars:
• Baylor Medical Center at Plano
• Wise Regional Health System
Tarrant County
5 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest
• USMD Hospital at Arlington
4 stars:
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hurst-Euless-Bedford
• Texas Health Heart & Vascular Hospital Arlington
• Texas Health Hugely Hospital Fort Worth South
3 stars:
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Grapevine
• JPS Health Network
• Medical City Alliance
• Medical City Arlington
• Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
• North Hills Hospital
• Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital
2 stars:
• Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth
