BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – A local hospital has been deemed a five-star facility, and it’s not the first time. It’s the eighth.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the Surgical Hospital at Southwoods the nationally recognized honor which placed Southwoods in the top percentile nationally. CMS assigns star ratings to U.S. hospitals annually based on their performance across five quality categories: safety of care, mortality, patient experience, readmission rates, and timely and effective care.
“First and foremost, our quality is number one. I’d put us up against anybody in the country. It’s amazing in Youngstown, Ohio to have a five-star place like we have,” said Ed Muransky, chief executive officer at Southwoods. “First-rate care—the best in the country you can get. The best equipment that I can buy. We are state-of-the-art. We have great doctors, great nurses, and great staff that care.”
In April 2015, CMS added Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings to its Hospital Compare website as part of the initiative to add 5-star quality ratings. Muransky says he believes in the community and giving great care locally.
“It’s our everyday focus. If you’re going to win the Superbowl you better set out to win the Superbowl,” said Muransky. “My goal of the hospital is to treat every person that walks through those doors the way you would treat your favorite loved one. We want to keep people here and understand that care is good here. We want to make Youngstown better for my grandkids.”
Southwoods is the only hospital in the Mahoning Valley to earn this rating.