If you have time to plan ahead for an inpatient or outpatient procedure, you can research the quality of care you may expect to receive at the hospital. These websites provide information to help you make the best-informed decision for your specific needs.
U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals
The U.S. News & World Report compiles specialty rankings and procedure and condition ratings to rank hospitals. These rankings are meant for patients who need a hospital familiar with treating complex, high-risk cases. The procedure and condition ratings focus on commonly required procedures and conditions. View the U.S. News & World Report rankings of South Carolina hospitals for more information.
Hospital Compare
This is a comprehensive tool developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that includes data for more than 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals in the United States. Hospitals report the data to CMS. Each facility is assigned an overall rating of one to five stars based on up to 64 measures related to common conditions that hospitals treat. You can also compare up to three facilities at a time in several categories measuring safety and value. Visit medicare.gov/hospitalcompare to learn more.
Blue Distinction Centers
BlueCross BlueShield (BlueCross) evaluates facilities on the expertise of the medical team, the number of times the facility has performed a procedure and the facility’s track record for procedure results in five categories: spine surgery, knee and hip surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, and transplants. BlueCross designates a facility as a Blue Distinction Center if it meets its criteria for patient safety and outcomes. Use the Blue Distinction Center Finder tool to search for centers throughout the U.S. The Blue Distinction Center+ designation refers to facilities that are lower cost in the BlueCross system in addition to achieving quality standards. Since the State Health Plan establishes its own pricing, Blue Distinction Center and Blue Distinction Center+ are the same for State Health Plan members.
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons CABG data
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons assesses quality of care in cardiothoracic surgery in three categories: adult cardiac surgery, congenital heart surgery and general thoracic surgery. It assigns star ratings for hospitals based on their coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgeries. View CABG data here.
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score
The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization that rates hospitals on a range of national safety and quality standards. Hospitals can receive grades from A to F. Scores are updated twice a year, and past scores are also available. Visit Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score tool to learn more.