Athens-Limestone Hospital gains four-star Medicare-Medicaid rating

ATHENS — Athens-Limestone Hospital recently earned a four-star overall quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of its 2023 quality rating system.

The hospital’s star rating was based on performance in five areas – mortality, patient experience, readmission, safety, and timely and effective care. The overall rating shows how well a hospital performed as compared to other hospitals in the United States.

There were more than 4,000 hospitals included in the data including 100 hospitals from Alabama. Ten Alabama hospitals received four stars and only one received five stars. CMS’s Overall Hospital Star Rating provides patients with important information on measures of quality and safety.

Of the 10 Alabama hospitals with a four or five-star quality rating, six also scored four or five-stars on the patient survey rating. Athens-Limestone Hospital ranks in this group with four-stars on the patient survey rating.

“Everyone at Athens-Limestone is proud of our four-star quality rating from CMS,”said hospital President Traci Collins. “This reflects the hard work and passion our employees have every day to make a difference in the lives of our patients.”

While the four-star rating recognizes the hospital’s commitment to safe, high-quality care nationally, Athens-Limestone Hospital also sets annual patient safety and quality goals. In July, hospital leadership announced the team reached all six goals.

“Each year leadership reviews and selects areas of improvement and communicates these goals to the staff,” Collins said. “Being able to say we are a 4-star hospital and putting in the work to meet our goals shows how important patient safety and quality care are to us. These accomplishments reinforce our mission to be the difference and our vision for excellence always. I am so proud of our team.

“The goals are set for next year, and we will continue working hard for our patients, families and community.”