STAMFORD, CT/October 4, 2019 – For the second year in a row, Stamford Hospital is the only acute care hospital in the state of Connecticut to receive no readmission penalty from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The CMS Readmission Reduction Program evaluates U.S. hospitals annually on rates of 30-day readmission among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The current results assess readmission rates from 2015-2018 for six common medical and surgical conditions: heart attack, heart failure, chronic lung disease, pneumonia, coronary bypass surgery and total joint replacements.
“This recognition is another endorsement of the excellent care that we provide to our patients. It is a validation of the daily dedication of members of our care team, including physicians, case managers, social workers, and nurses. They strive to ensure that patients have been successfully treated, are on the way back to health, and do not need to be re-admitted,” said Rohit Bhalla, MD, MPH, Stamford Health Vice President, Quality & Chief Quality Officer. “We have been very proactive in this area, and our results are driven by a number of coordinated initiatives including a dedicated focus on care transitions from hospital to home, and enhanced readmission protocols.”
Nationally, 83 percent of hospitals evaluated by this program were penalized, with penalties averaging 0.7 percent of Medicare reimbursement, up to 3 percent. There are no bonuses in this CMS program.
About Stamford Health
Stamford Health is a non-profit independent healthcare system with more than 3,500 employees committed to compassionately caring for the community and offering a wide range of high-quality health and wellness services. Patients and their families can rely on comprehensive person-centered care through the system’s 305-bed Stamford Hospital; Stamford Health Medical Group, with more than 30 offices in lower Fairfield County offering primary and specialty care; a growing number of ambulatory locations across the region; and support through the Stamford Hospital Foundation.
Stamford Health is also a major teaching affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dedicated to being the community’s most trusted healthcare partner, Stamford Health puts patients first to build long-lasting relationships. For more information, visit StamfordHealth.org. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.