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CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article, it was written that Gulf Breeze Hospital in Florida was the only other hospital with a four-star CMS rating. That is incorrect. Gulf Breeze Hospital is a five-star rated hospital, not four. Baptist Hospital is a four-star rated hospital, according to officials.

 

Atmore Community Hospital recently received a four-star rating from the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to officials.

The rating is a part of CMS’s 2022 Five-Star Quality Rating System, and were announced in late July, according to a release.

The overall star ratings measure quality of care and include mortality rates, safety of care, readmission rates, patient experience and timely/effective care.

ACH Director of Nursing Suzanne McGill said receiving a four-star rating is a big deal for the hospital.

“That’s something to be proud of because it’s not just the patient experience, it’s the quality of care,” McGill said. “That’s what we strive for, as well as having satisfied employees.”

With the four-star rating, ACH is the only hospital in lower Alabama to hold the rating. The only other hospital that has a four-star rating is at Baptist Hospital in Florida. The closest five-star rated hospital is Gulf Breeze Hospital.

“This really goes to show that exceptional care is being given right here in Atmore, despite having fewer resources than some of the larger systems in the areas,” ACH Administrator Brad Lowery said. “To have the highest rating of all of the hospitals in the lower Alabama area when it comes to quality measures shows a commitment of the ACH staff to the patients and to this community that is leading the charge. This team is truly engaged in offering a high level of care and that starts with our physician staff and our clinical leadership.”

Lowery said the staff at the hospital gives a lot of effort toward the quality of care.

“There’s a whole lot of effort going on here in even minor issues to maintain continual quality improvement,” he said. “It’s about identifying areas to improve to ensure people have a quality of care they can have.”

Recently, ACH has worked to improve patient care and satisfaction with every patient visit, including adding additional UAB eMedicine Services, new hospital monitory systems, imaging equipment and other patient room upgrades to enhance comfort and quality.

McGill said the ACH team continues to prioritize quality care for the patients and she believes that quality of care is evident from the CMS rating.

“This is our community and our managers, and their teams take pride in making sure our patients receive the best care possible here at home,” she said.

The CMS overall star ratings are updated annually and are public information. The ratings can be viewed at www.medicare.gove/care-compare/. CMS uses the measures in an attempt to give public information on how hospitals are performing from a quality standpoint in order to make more informed decisions on care.