VERO BEACH – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just announced their third quarter Home Health Compare ratings, and the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) achieved high star ratings in both quality of patient care and patient satisfaction.
The non-profit home health agency achieved 5 stars in patient satisfaction and 4.5 stars in quality of patient care, giving VNA the highest overall rating of all home health care agencies in both Brevard and Indian River.
“At VNA, we pride ourselves on caring for patients as if they were a member of our own family,” remarked VNA President/CEO, Lundy Fields. “Achieving the highest overall rating in two counties speaks volumes to our team’s focus on providing the highest quality patient care and reinforces our drive to exceed expectations.”
Nationally, the VNA’s 4.5 and 5-star ratings place them in the top ten percent. The state and national average for home health agencies is 3.5 stars. An agency is performing better than average compared to other agencies if it receives a star rating higher than 3.5. A star rating lower than 3.5 means that an agency’s performance was below average.
The 5-star rating system allows patients and caregivers to compare home health agencies in their area easily. According to CMS, it is the first national standard for collecting information on patient experiences that enable valid comparisons among all home health agencies. Star ratings range from 1 to 5 and demonstrate how a home health agency stands up to other home health agencies.
Quality of patient care ratings, judged on nine performance measures, are determined from patient data collected by CMS. Patient satisfaction ratings are based on patient experience with: overall care, communication between provider and patient, provider professionalism, medication education and future recommendations.
Home Health Compare (HHC) data is available online at www.medicare.gov. There, information about the quality of care provided by “Medicare-certified” home health agencies throughout the nation, is available to the public. “Medicare-certified” means the home health agency is approved by Medicare and meets certain federal health and safety requirements.
VNA Home Health is a Medicare-reimbursed home health care agency committed to providing patient-focused care. Individuals who have a scheduled surgery, are being discharged from the hospital or have been diagnosed with a chronic illness benefit from the skilled nursing and rehabilitation services the VNA offers. To learn more about how the VNA cares for Brevard County, please visit www.vnatc.com or call 772-567-5551.
