Shawnee Mission Medical Center Continues As Kansas City's Only Area Hospital to Earn Five Stars from CMS

Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) once again earned five stars from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new Hospital Compare website, the highest possible rating. For the third time in a row, SMMC is the only hospital in the Kansas City metropolitan area to be awarded five stars. Only 83 of the 3,629 U.S. hospitals recently surveyed achieved the full five-star rating.

The December rating includes 57 of the more than 100 measures reported to Medicare. Hospital Compare divides the measures into seven categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. Along with the overall rating, Hospital Compare includes information on many important aspects of quality, such as rates of infection, complications and patients experiences, all based on survey results.

"We are proud to be the only hospital in the Kansas City area to earn five stars for the third consecutive ranking," said SMH's Chief Medical Officer Larry Botts, MD. "Our nurses, physicians and entire staff have been very proud of this achievement, and their outstanding work is why we've continued to receive the highest possible rating."

CMS first revealed an overall star rating for hospitals in July 2016. The rating is meant to provide a starting point for comparing a hospital to others locally and nationwide. While patients are encouraged to seek the nearest hospital in case of an emergency, Hospital Compare provides a place for those who are able to plan ahead to research their options.

To see how SMMC's score compares locally and nationally, visit the Hospital Compare website at Medicare.gov/HospitalCompare.