Cedars-Sinai Achieves Highest Quality, Performance Rating

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have again given Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a five-star hospital rating—the highest distinction from the federal agency—marking the eighth straight time that Cedars-Sinai has been rated among the hospitals providing patients with the highest-quality care in the U.S.

Published on Medicare's Care Compare website, the ratings of one to five stars provide patients with a reliable way to compare hospitals' quality and performance. The ratings are based on 46 quality measurements from five categories: mortality, safety, readmissions after treatment of common conditions, patient experience, and timely and effective care.

Of the 2,891 U.S. hospitals rated, around 10% earned five stars.

“These results are thanks to the ongoing collaboration of our staff members to ensure that Cedars-Sinai delivers the highest-quality care to our patients,” said Sharon Isonaka, MD, chief value officer and vice president of Clinical Efficiency and Value at Cedars-Sinai.

Cedars-Sinai earned this year’s rating in part by sustaining strong performance in mortality measures that track rates of patient survival 30 days after hospitalization for serious medical conditions such as heart attack. Since CMS began tracking this data, the academic medical center’s mortality rates have remained among the best in the U.S. for patients being treated for conditions including:

• Heart failure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Stroke

Lower rates of hospital-associated infections at Cedars-Sinai also contributed to the medical center’s high score, thanks to focused efforts targeting the prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Cedars-Sinai also reduced the need for readmissions after discharge from the hospital for serious conditions like heart failure. The medical center likewise achieved a low unplanned readmission rate across the entire hospital, which is better than the national average. These achievements are the result of a yearslong effort by Cedars-Sinai to help vulnerable older adults safely return home and to the care of their physician after a hospital stay, whether it be for a common surgery or a serious medical condition.

Older adults who are at highest risk for readmission receive phone calls from specialized nurses, pharmacists or case managers from Cedars-Sinai to check their status, answer questions and ensure that follow-up appointments are scheduled. Staff members also can facilitate a timely follow-up visit if the patient’s condition worsens. This additional support helps ease the transition, which can be challenging for older adults who might become confused about which drugs they’re supposed to be taking or might be concerned about new symptoms they’re developing as they heal.

Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital earned a four-star hospital rating for the second year in a row, thanks to sustained improvements in safety and timely and effective care. The work that led to this achievement includes:

• A collaboration among Emergency Department staff to reduce patient wait times
• A coordinated effort to identify sepsis infections and quickly intervene
• Development of an education program and infrastructure for infection control, reducing hospital-associated infections by identifying and addressing the root causes

“I am so proud of the many nurses, physicians and operational staff members who have strengthened our focus on patient safety and quality of care, contributing to these impressive results,” said Joanne Laguna-Kennedy, MSN, RN, vice president of Hospital Operations and chief operating officer of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. “Their dedication will be invaluable as we prepare to move into our new, state-of-the-art hospital next year and to care for patients with more complex needs.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Why You Should Consider Magnet Recognition in Your Care