Shawnee Mission Medical Center Earns Second Consecutive Five-Star Quality Rating from CMS's Hospital Compare

Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) once again earned five stars from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) new Hospital Compare website, the highest possible rating. For the second time in a row, SMMC is the only hospital in the Kansas City metropolitan area to be awarded five stars. Only 112 of the 3,693 U.S. hospitals surveyed achieved the full five-star rating.

The overall rating includes 60 of the more than 100 measures reported to Medicare. Hospital Compare divides the measures into seven categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. Along with the overall rating, Hospital Compare includes information on many important aspects of quality, such as rates of infection, complications and patients experiences, all based on survey results.

"We have continued and improved upon the same quality initiatives that earned us a five-star rating in July," said Chief Medical Officer Larry Botts, MD. "We are proud to once again be the only hospital in the Kansas City area to achieve five stars, and thank our dedicated nurses, physicians and entire staff for their work to make this possible."

CMS first revealed an overall star rating for hospitals in July 2016. The rating is meant to provide a starting point for comparing a hospital to others locally and nationwide. While patients are encouraged to seek the nearest hospital in case of an emergency, Hospital Compare provides a place for those who are able to plan ahead to research their options.

"Shawnee Mission Medical Center has achieved various quality distinctions, but with only three percent of the eligible hospitals earning five stars from CMS, this is one that we are particularly proud of," said Administrative Director of Quality and Safety Lori K. Clayman, RN, BSN, MA, CPHQ. "This is a testament to our continuous work to provide safe, high-quality care that is much more than medicine for our patients."

To see how SMMC's score compares locally and nationally, visit the Hospital Compare website at Medicare.gov/HospitalCompare.