CMS: Orlando Health Is Highest-Rated Hospital in Central Florida

In December, Orlando Health earned another quality badge of distinction when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rated it the highest of any hospital in Central Florida, says Dr. Thomas Kelley, vice president of quality and clinical transformation for Orlando Health.

Based on 2016 data for 57 quality measures, Orlando Health received four stars in CMS’ Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. The overall ratings range from one to five stars, with more stars indicating better quality performance. No other Central Florida hospital received four or more stars.

CMS’ results were posted on the federal agency’s Hospital Compare website, which reports on quality measures for more than 4,000 of the nation’s hospitals. The quality measures used for the overall rating span seven areas of performance: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care and efficient use of medical imaging. Medicare hospital claims provided the bulk of the data, although measures such as healthcare-associated infection and patient satisfaction also were gathered from commercial insurers.

Orlando Health also has received high-quality ratings from the consumer advocates at The Leapfrog Group and U.S. News & World Report, says Dr. Kelley. The Leapfrog Group awarded straight A Hospital Safety Grades to all six of Orlando Health’s adult, acute-care facilities. The patient-safety organization also recognized four Orlando Health facilities as Top Hospitals, a designation earned by fewer than six percent of the nation’s hospitals.

U.S. News & World Report has named Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals for eight years in a row and Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) as a best regional hospital that achieved top ratings in all nine common procedures such as hip replacement and heart failure.