BANGOR — On July 27, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid announced that Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center was awarded a four-star rating at Hospital Care Compare, a website that ranks US hospitals in patient safety and experience. CMS bases ratings on publicly shared quality measures, such as preventing infections and pressure injuries, improving outcomes after surgery, and patient experience.
The medical center’s rating is based on improvements in surgical mortality and patient experience, decreasing readmissions, and timely, safe, and effective care. Safety is foremost in mind at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center; employees are encouraged to bring concerns forward through huddles, bed-side handoffs, staff meetings, and safety stops.
“Throughout the pandemic we ramped up processes to enhance the patient safety work already in place,” says Elizabeth Perry, MPH, CPHQ, associate vice president, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement. “Although the last few years were difficult for many hospitals, this rating highlights our focus on continual improvement. I credit the culture of safety at our medical center, which supports an environment where multi-disciplinary teams work well together to enhance safer patient care.”
This is the first time the medical center has received a four-star rating since the rating system began in 2015. The star system, which can be viewed at medicare.gov/care-compare, gives consumers a quick snapshot of healthcare facilities in their communities. The data used for July’s ratings pulls from data reported between summer 2018 and early 2022.
