Hospitals not included:

Some hospitals are not listed in this database because they are exempt under the federal statute that provides for information collection. This was done because it was believed that their patient case-mix and cost structures would not be adequately reflected in the new system.

On Long Island, Syosset Hospital is exempt.

Footnotes:

1. The number of cases is too small to reliably tell how well a hospital is performing.

For each measure, the rate is the percent of patients for whom the treatment is appropriate. Where these numbers are small (fewer than 25 patients), the calculated rate may not accurately predict the hospital’s future performance. As the quality data base is expanded to a full rolling four quarters of data for each measure, the number of cases used to determine hospitals’ rates will likely increase, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the rates. Note: This footnote does not necessarily reflect hospital size or overall patient volume.

2. The hospital indicated that the data submitted for this measure were based on a sample of cases.

A rate may be based upon the total number of cases treated by a hospital, or for a facility with a large caseload, a rate may be based on a random sample of the cases the hospital treated. This footnote indicates that a hospital chose to submit data for a sample of its total cases (following specific rules for how to the select the cases).

3. Data were collected during a shorter period (fewer quarters) than the maximum possible time for this measure.

Each rate reflects the care given over a specific time period, up to a maximum of four quarters during a 12 month period. The number of quarters of data available is determined by when hospitals first began to report data using a specific measure. For example, for the ten measures in the “Starter Set”, the maximum number of quarters for which a hospital could have provided data is four quarters. For measures added more recently, the maximum will be fewer than four quarters. This footnote indicates that the hospital's rate was based on data from fewer than the maximum possible number of quarters that the measure was generally collected.

4. Suppressed for one or more quarters by CMS.

Hospitals are required to submit accurate, reportable data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The rates for these measures were calculated by excluding data that had been suppressed for one or more quarters because they were identified as inaccurate.

5. No data are available from the hospital for this measure.

Hospitals volunteer to provide data for reporting on Hospital Compare. This footnote is applied when the hospital did not submit any cases for a measure.

6. Fewer than 100 patients completed the survey. Use these scores with caution, as the number of surveys may be too low to reliably assess hospital performance.

This footnote is applied when the number of completed surveys the hospital or its vendor provided to CMS is less than 100.

7. Survey results are based on less than 12 months of data.

This footnote is applied when survey results are based on less than 12 months of survey data.

8. Survey results are not available for this reporting period.

This footnote is applied when a hospital did not participate in the survey, did not collect sufficient survey data for public reporting purposes, or chose to suppress their survey results.

9. No or very few patients were eligible for the survey.

This footnote is applied when a hospital has no or very few patients eligible to participate in the survey and thus has no survey results to report.

10. A state average was not calculated because too few hospitals in the state submitted data.

This footnote is applied when too few hospitals submitted data.

11. There were discrepancies in the data collection process.

This footnote is applied when there have been deviations from survey data collection protocols. CMS is working with survey vendors and/or hospitals to correct this situation.

12. Very few patients were eligible for the survey. The scores shown reflect fewer than 50 completed surveys. Use these scores with caution, as the number of surveys may be too low to reliably assess hospital performance.

This footnote is applied when the number of completed surveys the hospital or its vendor provided to CMS is less than 50.

13. These measures are included in the composite measure calculations but Medicare is not reporting them at this time.

14. No data are available for publication from the hospital for this measure because there were zero central line days.

15. No data are available for publication from the hospital for this measure because this hospital does not have ICU locations.

20. National average does not include VHA hospitals.

In addition, the notation "0 patients" is applied when no patients met the criteria for inclusion in that particular measure’s calculation.

a. Source: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey.

b. This is the middle range of payments for the most typical cases treated in this geographic area for this condition or procedure.

c. Number of Medicare Patients Treated: The number of discharges the hospital treated for each MS-DRG for the current data collection period. The United States and average of Medicare Patients does not include hospitals with zero cases.

d. The payment and volume information is for acute care hospitals. Critical access hospitals (CAH) are not included because they are paid using another method.

e. Payment cannot be computed as there were no Medicare discharges for this MS-DRG for the current data collection period.

f. An asterisk (*) appears in the table where data cannot be disclosed to protect personal health information due to the small number of Medicare patients (fewer than 11).

g. This hospital is currently not submitting data for Hospital Process of Care Measures, Hospital Outcome of Care Measures and/or the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Patient Survey.

h. This column shows the number of patients with Original Medicare who were admitted to the hospital for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia conditions. The hospital may also have treated additional Medicare patients in Medicare health plans (like an HMO or PPO).

i. The number of cases is too small (fewer than 25) to reliably tell how well the hospital is performing.

j. Medicare requires hospitals to have at least 25 qualifying cases to have their results reported. This hospital had less than 25 cases.

Data Collection Periods:

For process of care measures and patient survey, the collection period is generally 12 months. As new measures are added, the collection period varies.

For the mortality and readmission measures, the collection period is 36 months. The 30-day risk-adjusted mortality and readmission measures for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia are produced from Medicare claims and enrollment data.

The collection period for the patient safety measures is 20 months. The information is refreshed annually.