Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital’s Transitional Care Unit was recently awarded the highest rating possible from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System. Out of more than 600 hospitals and facilities surveyed in Pennsylvania, the transitional care unit was one of only 150 to earn the five-star distinction.
Medicare’s Five-Star Quality Rating System is part of a broad initiative to help consumers compare the quality of health care organizations and providers. The ratings enable consumers to quickly and easily compare and evaluate hospitals and providers, with five stars indicating the highest quality care. Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital is a 98-bed facility. Of these beds, 22 are part of its Transitional Care Unit. Unlike the hospital beds that offer acute rehabilitation, the Transitional Care Unit is comprised of beds more similar to a skilled nursing facility.
"No matter what the setting inside our hospital, we strive each day to give patients and their families a positive experience during their stay,” said Scott Guevin, chief executive officer for Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital. "Earning this five-star rating further validates how patients feel, and it is a huge honor to be recognized. I want to commend all of the staff for always providing our patients with top-quality and compassionate care."
Medicare created the Five-Star Quality Rating System as an easy-to-understand assessment of nursing home quality and to help families make meaningful distinctions between high and low performing facilities. Ratings are derived from health inspections, staffing and quality measures. Nursing homes with five stars are considered to have much above average quality, and nursing homes with one star are considered to have quality much below average.
Family members are reminded that while the rating system is a valuable tool to use, it does not replace on-site visitations to facilities and in-person discussions with staff members.
Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital is a joint venture between Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Select Medical.