Report cards were recently released for more than 4,500 of the nation’s hospitals and CalvertHealth Medical Center has received a 4-star rating (out of 5-stars) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare website. The 4-star rating ranks CalvertHealth among the top 12 hospitals in the state of Maryland.
Care Compare (formerly Hospital Compare) has information about the quality of care at Medicare-certified hospitals across the country, only 455 of which received 5-star ratings. The website rates hospitals against 48 measures of quality including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care.
This national recognition comes at a time when many rural hospital systems have been challenged by the pandemic, making this top ranking especially rewarding and reaffirms that CalvertHealth continues to provide world-class healthcare.
“At CalvertHealth, our team of physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers are committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to our patients and their families,” said Dean Teague, president and chief executive officer of CalvertHealth. “We are proud to receive this 4-star recognition and think it underscores all of the hard work we have been doing to realize our mission of providing safe, high-quality health care and promoting wellness for a healthy community.”
In light of COVID positivity rates and hospitalizations being at the lowest percentages in more than a year, Teague says hospital administration is worried about a potentially dangerous new trend. Many people with serious health conditions or symptoms may have been delaying or avoiding care, which can lead to serious complications and long-term health problems. “Now more than ever, we want to encourage our community to make sure they are taking care of themselves and getting those annual screenings or making an appointment for any check-ups you may have missed or put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Teague.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ted Tsangaris concurred saying, “Patients are waiting too long to seek the care they need. Our practices are clean and safe, and our top priority is the health and safety of our patients at all times.” He went on to add, “I want residents to feel comfortable seeking the medical treatment they need. At the same time, I want to remind people that timeliness is important. Small issues can quickly become more serious if they are not addressed effectively.”
CalvertHealth has taken every possible precaution to protect you and our healthcare workers throughout our physician practices, outpatient clinics, services and surgery center. In addition to following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and using state-of-the-art UV disinfecting technology, our practices are also practicing social distancing by scheduling appointments to limit the number of patients and employees in an area and using telemedicine and other advances to provide access to care from the convenience of your home or office for those who are not yet vaccinated or still feel uncomfortable seeking care in person.
If you do not have a primary care provider, please call 410.535.8457 to get established with a provider at one of CalvertHealth Primary Care’s three Calvert County locations or visit CalvertHealthMedicalGroup.org for more information.