By Brandon Howard
Irvine-Calif.-based Hoag Orthopedic Institute recently earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for patient experience and quality; making it one of only eight hospitals in California to receive the ranking. Dereesa Reid, CEO at Hoag feels the CMS rating is exciting and believes that CMS, with the value-based program, is creating a “gold standard” for clinical quality and transparency.
Hoag Orthopedic Institute is 51 percent owned by Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport, Calif., and 49 percent owned by physicians. Hoag Orthopedic Institute also includes a 70-bed hospital in Irvine and two surgery centers — one in Orange and one in Newport Beach. 
With the latest CMS program, besides simply providing a rating, consumers and professionals can compare clinical quality and patient satisfaction “apples to apples,” as Ms. Reid puts it.
Why five stars is important
The comparison and the star rating is a huge boost for consumers as well, who are able to quickly understand what a star ranking could mean, and how it could impact their decisions about healthcare.