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Des Moines , IA — The VA Central Iowa Medical Center in Des Moines received the highest ranking of any metro hospital, a 5 Star rating, on a survey released today by Centers for Medicare and

Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS uses 5 categories – mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care – to award a quality rating for each hospital.

The more stars (out of 5), the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures. “We are proud of this recognition,” said Central Iowa Medical Center Director Amy Kennebeck.

“We put Veteran care at the heart of every decision we make. From our front-line staff, to every care provider, to each person in a leadership position, we stress every day that the Veteran

is at the center of our care.” According to Medicare, the patient survey rating measures patients' experiences of their hospital care. Recently discharged patients were asked about

important topics like how well nurses and doctors communicated, how responsive hospital staff were to their needs, and the cleanliness and quietness of the hospital environment. The rankings

are available at Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare. Nationally, 67 percent of VA hospitals were rated as 4 or 5 stars. Non-VA hospitals had 41 percent rated in

those highest two categories. “Our job at VA is to deliver the best possible care to every Veteran who walks through our doors,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal.

“While we’re very proud of these findings, there is still work to do. We will study these results, learn from them, and continue to improve until we’re delivering world-class care to every

Veteran, every time.” Because the VA medical system treats almost exclusively Veterans, the facility does not routinely accept Medicare patients. ###