St. Elizabeth Dearborn and St. Elizabeth Edgewood recently earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), two of only three hospitals in Greater Cincinnati to do so in 2024. This milestone marks the first 5-star rating for St. Elizabeth Dearborn, while St. Elizabeth Edgewood has earned this distinction for the second consecutive year.
Remarkably, only five hospitals in Kentucky, 12 in Indiana and 381 nationwide were awarded this esteemed rating.
To mark this achievement, we spoke with Dr. James Horn, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, to discuss its impact on the community.
What does this designation mean?
“This designation is truly an honor and a recognition of the compassionate and comprehensive care provided at St. Elizabeth. The rating system evaluates hospitals using a specific methodology. It’s a tribute to the seamless experience, innovation and excellence we seek to provide the patients who come to us when in need.
Achieving the 5-star rating, the highest possible for an acute hospital, involves measuring 46 areas of quality in five major groups: mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience and timely care. Only 13% of hospitals nationwide score highly enough in all five areas to receive a 5-star rating. It means St. Elizabeth is truly among the best of the best in the country.”
What are the CMS ratings?
“The CMS rating system was created in 2015, and since then, St. Elizabeth has been dedicated to obtaining and maintaining a 5-star status across all campuses. We’ve achieved this at Dearborn and Edgewood by continuing to prioritize patient care improvements and implementing practices that consistently enhance the quality of our care. CMS ratings are meant to provide patients and their families a valuable tool to help make well-informed decisions about their healthcare. They signal the highest standard of care.
For the 2024 ratings, CMS evaluated hospital performance from July 2019 through March 2023.”
What does this mean for our community?
“This recognition reflects the exceptional collaboration and dedication of our entire team. Back-to-back 5 star recognition at Edgewood speaks to the consistency of care all of our associates deliver to our patients each and every day. The first-time designation at Dearborn and the ongoing improvement efforts at our facilities in Florence and Ft. Thomas show how we are constantly striving to improve the care we provide.
We are driven to sustain this high standard, as we aim for perfection in every aspect of our services.
In times of health crises, having a trusted hospital close to home can be a lifeline, providing comfort, convenience and crucial support. We want our community to know that you need not travel far to receive the highest quality of care. You can receive it right here, close to home.”
Find more information about St. Elizabeth.
