LGH earns highest quality rating

Lancaster General Hospital earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Hospital Compare Star Ratings released today.

LGH is the only hospital in Lancaster County to earn the federal government’s five-star rating in the most recent report, which included data from 2013-2017. LGH was not the only Penn Medicine hospital to receive a five-star rating. Both Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Chester County Hospital earned the top quality score.

“Lancaster General Hospital takes great pride in being a hospital that CMS recognizes for exceptional patient care and safety,” said Jan Bergen, CEO of Lancaster General Health. “The rating recognizes not only our medical and dental staff, but our entire team’s talent, teamwork and commitment to patients and the community.

CMS, which launched the Hospital Compare Star Ratings in 2015, uses the rating system to summarize more than 50 inpatient and outpatient quality measures in a way that is easy to interpret for patients and consumers. The information helps patients make decisions regarding where to receive care, while encouraging hospitals to continually improve the quality of care they provide.

“Our collaborative approach to patient care, focusing on key processes to prevent complications and infections, contributes to our lower readmission rates and ultimately leads to better outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Michael Ripchinski, Physician Executive for Quality at LG Health.

In addition to the overall hospital five-star rating, Lancaster General Hospital performed above the national average in overall hospital quality group scores in:

• Reducing readmissions
• Reducing infections
• Reducing surgical or procedural complications
• Improving the timeliness and effectiveness of care