Hilo Medical Center Achieves Four-Star Rating

Hilo Medical Center. Courtesy photo.

Hilo Medical Center was one of just four hospitals statewide to achieve the coveted four-star ranking for “Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.”

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently released the national rankings.

“Our entire team has worked diligently to transform Hilo Medical Center from good to great,” said Dan Brinkman, East Hawaii Regional CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. “We have been honored to receive numerous accolades, including the recent AACN Beacon Award for Excellence, on our quest to become a leading hospital in Hawai‘i. This new four star ranking demonstrates the high quality of our services that result in better patient outcomes. We strive to make everything we do here a best practice.”

Over 4,200 hospitals, both public and private nationwide, are required by CMS to track and measure key indicators. Only 20% of hospitals reporting garnered four stars. According to the CMS’ July 27 press release: “Today, we are updating the star ratings on the Hospital Compare website to help millions of patients and their families learn about the quality of hospitals, compare facilities in their area side-by-side, and ask important questions about care quality when visiting a hospital or other healthcare provider.”

“Our incredible team of nurses, physicians, aides, housekeepers and administrative staff care deeply about the well-being of our community,”said Brinkman. “Nearly all patients can be successfully treated right here at Hilo Medical Center, eliminating the need for Hawaii Island residents to travel to O‘ahu—saving them time, stress and money.”

The CMS national ranking scores these hospitals as Hawai‘i’s only four-star facilities:

Hilo Medical Center
Pali Momi Medical Center
The Queen’s Medical Center
Wilcox Memorial Hospital

Straub Clinic and Hospital received Hawai‘i’s only five-star ranking.

“The Hilo Medical Center team has proven that a safety net hospital such as ours that serves a mostly rural population can also be exceptional,” said Kurt Corbin, board chair of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation East Hawaii Region. “Our community is proud of this achievement and can look forward to upgrades in our Imaging Department technologies along with ongoing improvements in the patient experience.”

Hilo Medical Center’s top Hawaii ranking follows several other recent honors and accolades recognizing important milestones in its transformation as a leading hospital in Hawai‘i.

For more information, go to www.hilomedicalcenter.org.