ROCKLEDGE, Fla., April 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health First's Viera Hospital is one of only four hospitals in Florida to receive the prestigious 5-star designation for patient experience from the federal government. Only 251 hospitals (7 percent) in the U.S. earned the top mark.
"We are proud of the Health First associates for their tireless commitment to providing the highest level of care, respect and compassion to the community we serve," said Stuart Mitchell, Health First's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. "Thank you to all of our associates, volunteers, physicians and leaders for creating an environment of patient-centered care."
This is the first time the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has evaluated 3,500 hospitals using a one to five star-rating system for patient experience in an effort to make it easier for consumers to choose a hospital and understand the quality of care it delivers.
The 5-star rating is reserved for the highest performing hospitals in customer service and is based on patient experience scores reported in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. The survey covers topics such as how well doctors and nurses communicate with patients, how responsive hospital staff are to patient needs, how clean and quiet hospital environments are and how well patients are prepared for post-hospital settings.
Health First's Cape Canaveral Hospital earned four stars, while Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center and Health First's Palm Bay Hospital earned three stars.
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is Central Florida's only fully integrated delivery network (IDN) and employs more than 7,800 associates. The integrator of its IDN is Health First Health Plans offering a wide variety of health insurance options across Central Florida. In addition it operates four hospitals (Health First's Cape Canaveral Hospital, Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center, Health First's Palm Bay Hospital and Health First's Viera Hospital) and is home to Brevard County's only Trauma Center. Health First Medical Group is the largest multi-specialty physician group on the Space Coast. Health First also offers numerous outpatient and wellness services, including Health First Aging Services, four Health First Pro-Health & Fitness Centers and Home and Hospice care. Visit www.health-first.org for more information.
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