Cedars-Sinai Again Earns Five-Star Rating From Federal Agency

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

Of the 3,076 U.S. hospitals rated, fewer than 16% earned five stars. 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.

Found on Medicare's Care Compare website, the ratings of one to five stars provide patients with a simple way to compare hospitals' quality and performance. 

This year’s rating for Cedars-Sinai was driven by strong performance in mortality measures that track the rate of patient survival 30 days after hospitalization for common conditions such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke. Since CMS began tracking this data, the academic medical center’s mortality rates have remained among the lowest in the U.S. Cedars-Sinai also achieved a high rate of patient survival 30 days after hospitalization for heart attack.

Cedars-Sinai received high marks for other measures, including:

• Low rate of emergency department visits after outpatient chemotherapy
• Low rate of unplanned hospital visits after outpatient surgery
• High rate of COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare personnel
• High overall rating of the hospital by patients

“Cedars-Sinai’s focus on increasing quality of care, safety and avoiding unnecessary readmissions all contributed to this year’s strong performance,” said Sharon Isonaka, MD, chief value officer and vice president of Clinical Efficiency and Value at Cedars-Sinai. “Among efforts in these areas are new enhanced care programs we created to help Medicare patients recover safely at home after a hospitalization for many common conditions and surgeries.” 

Before leaving the hospital, patients enrolled in these programs are visited by expert nurse practitioners who explain the post-discharge care plan. Once home, the patients receive an outreach call or visit a specialized clinic to help reinforce discharge instructions and prevent readmission to the hospital. Patients also receive a thorough medication review from clinical pharmacists as well as support from a case manager for 90 days to ensure that they are able to follow their care plan. 

“We want to give our patients the care they need when they need it,” Isonaka said. “Sometimes that means thinking beyond the hospital and setting them up for success when they return home.”

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