Edited by: TJVNews.com
Lenox Hill Hospital has achieved a four-star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in its annual 2021 hospital rankings. Exceptional patient experience, as well as low hospital mortality, infection and readmission rates place Lenox Hill in the top 20% of hospitals nationwide. The hospital’s performance in the areas of safety of care and mortality reduction surpasses the national average.
The CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating assesses performance across five significant quality categories: hospital mortality; safety of care; readmission rates; patient experience; and timely and effective care. The rankings – which are posted on the government’s “Hospital Compare” website – are considered among the best hospital report cards to help inform the public on where best to receive medical care.
“This prestigious rating showcases Lenox Hill’s deep dedication to clinical excellence and outstanding patient care,” said Daniel Baker, MD, medical director of Lenox Hill Hospital. “I couldn’t be prouder of our frontline staff whose tireless efforts continuously elevate the level of care we provide to our patients.”
Lenox Hill’s high rating reflects the hospital’s ongoing commitment to improving patient safety by reducing or eliminating avoidable complications, such as hospital-acquired infections, and by decreasing the need for readmissions by providing patients with personalized, seamless hospital-to-home transition plans that allow access to vital medications, equipment and follow-up care. Meticulous implementation of strict quality and safety standards has helped Lenox Hill perform better than 94% of hospitals when it comes to patient mortality.
The rankings come in the wake of a pandemic in which New York State was hit particularly hard by Covid-19. To continue delivering timely and effective care safely, Lenox Hill’s parent company Northwell Health rapidly scaled up its telehealth offerings, including TeleICU services. This allowed patients to get immediate care while keeping staff safe by limiting their exposure to the deadly virus. The health system expanded from 170 TeleICU beds pre-pandemic to 323 – performing nearly 500,000 virtual visits.
In addition to providing superior clinical care, Lenox Hill is hyper focused on delivering exceptional patient experience through added comfort and clear communication. A great example of that is daily nurse leader rounding, which ensures that every patient gets the attention they deserve throughout their hospital stay. Taking this “best practice” one step further, the patient experience team now uses a digital rounding tool called Cipher allowing staff to analyze feedback from patients and their families in real time.
Besides helping potential patients understand how health care is delivered, the Star Rating also aids hospital staff in identifying areas for improvement. While Lenox Hill leadership takes a holistic approach to continually analyzing and enhancing health outcomes and quality standards, employees hospital-wide are encouraged to identify specific projects and measures that their department can impact. The ultimate goal is to provide the highest quality of safe, effective and compassionate care to every patient.
