Deaconess, Valley hospitals’ ratings improve in federal evaluation

Multicare’s Deaconess and Valley hospitals received a four-star rating from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a December 2017 evaluation, signifying improvement in the quality of care provided.

Deaconess last scored two stars on the five-point rating scale in a 2016 evaluation, while Valley Hospital scored three.

CMS evaluates hospitals on seven measures of quality, including mortality, readmission rates, patient experience and effectiveness of care.

About 25 percent of the 4,579 hospitals evaluated at the same time scored four stars, while 7 percent received a five-star rating.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center also has a four-star rating. Holy Family Hospital has three stars.

Deaconess and Valley both scored below the national average on patient surveys of their experiences, and above the national average for readmission rates and efficient use of medical imaging, according to CMS.

“This four-star rating is a testament to one of our core values of excellence and the high-quality care we provide throughout MultiCare Health System,” Dr. David O’Brien, senior vice president and chief executive for MultiCare’s Inland Northwest region, said in a news release.