Lee Health Hospitals Earn Four Stars in CMS Quality Star Ratings

Cape Coral Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital rise from three stars to four; Gulf Coast Medical Center maintains its four-star ranking

(Fort Myers, Fla. – May 7, 2021) --- High-quality care and patient safety are Lee Health’s top priorities, and the health system is pleased to announce its hospitals have been awarded four stars by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Cape Coral Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital have all risen from three stars in the 2020 rating period to four stars in this period, and Gulf Coast Medical Center has maintained its four-star status. Children’s hospitals are not included in this ranking system.

The four-star ratings reflect the continuous improvements Lee Health takes to provide the highest quality of care to the community it serves.

In the past four years, all Lee Health hospitals have risen from two-stars to four-stars by finding ways to constantly improve patient care.

“We are proud to be recognized by CMS for the high-quality care we provide to the Southwest Florida community,” said Dr. Larry Antonucci, president and chief executive officer of Lee Health. “At Lee Health, we are committed to constant improvement and are always striving to provide the safest, highest level of care possible. Being awarded four stars for our hospitals by CMS is an honor, and I want to thank the entire Lee Health team for their dedication to excellent patient care.” 

CMS’s overall star rating is based on how well a hospital performs across different areas of quality, such as treating heart attacks and pneumonia, readmission rates and safety of care. The rating shows how individual hospitals perform compared to all hospitals across the country for the 5 groups or categories of quality measures that make up for the overall star rating.

CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families and caregivers compare hospitals more easily. The scores are based on previously reported quality and safety data points including: patient satisfaction, value and outcomes, among others. 

Just last week, Lee Health was recognized by The Leapfrog Group in its Spring 2021 Hospital Safety Grades. Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital each earned an “A” grade for the fifth straight reporting period. HealthPark Medical Center earned an “A” grade for the fourth straight reporting period. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” and “F” to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and other harms. Only 33% of the approximately 2,700 acute care hospitals Leapfrog graded received an “A.”

Learn more about Lee Health’s awards and recognitions at www.leehealth.org.