HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center has been recognized for high-quality, safe health care and exceptional patient experience by three national organizations that evaluate the quality of hospitals and health systems.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services overall hospital quality star ratings for 2022 gave Holy Spirit Medical Center a rating of five stars, the highest quality distinction, and a jump from last year’s rating of four stars. The overall rating, between one and five stars, summarizes multiple quality measures across five areas of health care performance. Only 429 hospitals in the U.S. earned a five-star rating. Holy Spirit Medical Center is one of only 24 in Pennsylvania to receive this top designation.
U.S. News and World Report recognized Holy Spirit Medical Center as high performing in five specialties: treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure and stroke. The magazine’s 2022 “Best Hospitals” rankings evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. Out of 236 Pennsylvania hospitals analyzed, Holy Spirt Medical Center was one of only 28 to be recognized as a high-performing hospital.
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center also received honors from the magazine.
The Leapfrog Group awarded Holy Spirit Medical Center an “A” in the Spring 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, an honor attained by just 33% of hospitals nationwide. The rating is a jump from a “B” in the Fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This national, independent watchdog sets the highest standards for patient safety in the United States. The Leapfrog Group measures address crucial areas, or “leaps,” such as whether physicians enter prescriptions and orders into computerized medication systems, and whether hospitals have safety practices and policies advocated by the National Quality Forum to reduce harm and errors.
“Holy Spirit Medical Center is leading the way on excellent, patient-centered care,” said Don McKenna, Holy Spirit and Hampden medical centers regional president, in a message to staff members. “Every employee plays a critical role as we help write the Penn State Health story in the region.”
These recognitions are based on a snapshot in time. Across the country, this information assists patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive quality care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.