Green River Star - April 29, 2021 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Care Compare website refreshed its star ratings. Star ratings are meant to help consumers understand the quality of care provided by hospitals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services methodology for calculating the star rating has been updated, affecting the ratings of healthcare centers nationwide. Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County is no exception. The 5-year-old CMS star rating system summarizes a variety of measures into a single star rating for each hospital. CMS simplified and revised its methodology after receiving stakeholder feedback on the method of calculation. Under the previous methodology, CMS targeted up to 65 measures categorized within seven measure groups. The CMS Star Rating Refresh used 48 of those 65 measures in five measure groups: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. CMS simplified its methodology to calculate an average and compares similar hospitals using peer grouping methods. It’s now easier for hospitals to predict star ratings over time.