Shawnee Mission Med Center earns top rating

Shawnee Mission Medical Center has earned a five-star rating for the third consecutive time from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The hospital said it was the only one in the Kansas City area to be awarded five stars, and one of only 83 out of 3,629 hospitals nationwide to earn the top rating from the government’s Hospital Compare survey. The CMS website displays an overall rating for about 80 percent of the nation’s hospitals

The rankings were based on the more than 100 measures reported to Medicare, including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and effectiveness of care. Other quality issues reviewed included rates of infection, complications, and patients’ experiences.

The ratings are meant to provide a starting point for comparing a hospital to others locally and nationwide. The government said the information can be especially helpful for those who are able to plan ahead to research their healthcare options.

At least five area hospitals received four-star ratings: Overland Park Regional, North Kansas City, Providence Medical, St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Luke’s South.

Regional hospitals earning three stars included Olathe Medical Center, Menorah, the University of Kansas Hospital, and Research.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Shawnee Mission Med Center earns top rating."