Logo artwork courtesy of cms.gov

Colorado Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) announced today that it received a 4-star rating from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Home Health Compare’s debut star rating program. Colorado VNA is one of only two Denver-based agencies to achieve a 4-star rating or higher (and only 21% of agencies statewide scored 4 or higher). The state and national average is 3 stars.

“Colorado VNA is committed to compassionate, patient-centered care, and our above average rating affirms this,” said President and CEO Chris Lee.

CMS developed Home Health Compare as a key tool for consumers to use when choosing a home health provider. However, the site includes an abundance of information that can be cumbersome to wade through. In December 2014, CMS announced the addition of the star ratings program, which, according to the CMS website, is designed to help “consumers more quickly identify differences in quality and make use of the information when selecting a health care provider. In addition…star ratings can also help the agencies identify areas for improvement.” Key criteria of the CMS rating system include timeliness of start of care, patient satisfaction, hospital readmissions, and other important quality indicators.

Colorado VNA’s Lee further noted that the organization is “proud of our rating at the debut of this program, but we will not rest on our laurels. We have developed a culture of continuous improvement to ensure the best care and outcomes for our patients, and we are committed to achieving a 5-star rating.”

To view the CMS source material, click here for the related July 16, 2015 article written by Sabriya Rice of ModernHealthcare.com.