W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center earns second consecutive CMS Overall Hospital Quality 5-Star Rating
PRESS RELEASE
September 10, 2024
Salisbury , NC — The Salisbury VA Health Care System announced today the W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center has earned a second consecutive 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), effective July 31, 2024.
The W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center’s 5-star overall rating joins 58% of other VA facilities which also received a 4 or 5-star rating compared to just 40% of non-VA hospitals and medical centers over the same rating period.
“Once again, the CMS ratings confirm what many North Carolina Veterans experience every day at our facilities – VA providers and care teams putting the Veteran’s patient experience and Whole Health at the forefront of every appointment or visit,” said Kevin P. Amick, executive director of the Salisbury VA Health Care System. “Whether at our flagship medical center in Salisbury, our outpatient clinics and health care centers in Charlotte and Kernersville, or via telehealth, VA employees remain dedicated to ensuring all Veterans receive 5-star health care.”
The July 2024 CMS ratings come at a time when VA trust scores are at an all-time high. For the period ending August 31, 2024, Salisbury VA’s trust score was 93.7% - exceeding the VA national score of 92% released in June 2024.
Salisbury VA also received a 4-Star CMS Patient Survey Rating, joining 79% of VA hospitals and clinics which received a summary star rating of 4 or 5 stars compared to 40% of non-VA facilities. The CMS Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data represents the ninth straight quarter in which VA facilities have outperformed non-VA equivalents.
Both CMS ratings aim to improve patients’ ability to make informed decisions about where they receive care.
CMS awards Overall Star Ratings to hospitals based on five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. CMS’ HCAHPS summary star ratings combine information across ten measures of patient experience, including staff communication and responsiveness, hospital environment, willingness to recommend the hospital, and overall hospital rating.
This year’s Overall Star Ratings are based on data collected between July 2019 and March 2023, and this quarter’s HCAHPS star ratings are based on data collected between October 2022 and September 2023.
The CMS ratings come as VA continues to deliver more care to more Veterans than ever before. In the two years following the enactment of the PACT Act, nearly 740,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care, representing a 33% increase over the previous two-year period.
VA is on pace to deliver 127 million health care appointments in 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 120 million.
About the Salisbury VA Health Care System
At the Salisbury VA Health Care System, our mission is to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Learn more about the Salisbury VA Health Care System at https://www.va.gov/salisbury-health-care/.
Kevin Stapleton, Chief Communications Officer
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