Moore Regional Hospital Gets 5 Stars from Medicare for Patient Satisfaction

David J. Kilarksi

PINEHURST – Choosing where to go for hospital care can be confusing and overwhelming for patients.  That choice may be a little easier for consumers in the mid-Carolinas now that Medicare.gov has released its new Hospital Compare tool where consumers can compare hospitals based on a number of measures. 

In the area of patient satisfaction, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital received a full 5-Star rating on the Hospital Compare website. FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital and FirstHealth Moore Regional-Hoke Campus are also included in the 5-Star recognition because they participate in submitting survey data due to their status as divisions of Moore Regional Hospital.

“We are very proud of the 5-Star rating,” says FirstHealth CEO David J. Kilarski.  “We already know our staff does a fantastic job taking care of patients, but this tool gives the public an opportunity to see exactly how FirstHealth compares to other hospitals in the region regarding patient satisfaction.  We are committed to sharing meaningful information about the care we deliver to our patients.” 

The ratings are based on data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey measures. HCAHPS has been in use since 2006 to measure patients’ perspectives of hospital care, but star ratings have never been assigned before. The star ratings range from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest measure of satisfaction. 

This summary star rating for patient satisfaction is based on 11 facets of the patient experience, including how well doctors and nurses communicated, how well patients believed their pain was addressed, and whether patients would recommend the hospital to others. Adult patients – not just those on Medicare — are randomly surveyed after they leave the facility by an independent third party company.

Moore Regional Hospital (including the Richmond and Hoke campuses) is one of only three North Carolina hospitals to receive the five-star patient satisfaction rating.  North Carolina Specialty Hospital in Durham and Chatham Hospital in Siler City were the only other North Carolina hospitals to earn five stars for patient satisfaction. Nationally, the top rating went to 251 hospitals, about 7 percent of all the hospitals considered for the recognition.

CMS says the star rating system makes it easier for consumers to choose a hospital and understand the quality of care that hospital delivers. The announcement builds on a larger effort across Health & Human Services to develop a health care system that delivers better care, spends health care dollars more wisely and results in healthier people, the announcement from CMS says.

“The patient experience Star Ratings will make it easier for consumers to use the information on the Hospital Compare website and spotlight excellence in health care quality,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, Acting Principal Deputy Administrator for CMS and Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality. “These star ratings also encourage hospitals and clinicians to strive to continuously improve the patient experience and quality of care delivered to all patients.”