Phoebe Berks Health Care Center, Wernersville received 5-star ratings in a new Zagat-like rating system, released yesterday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The survey assigns skilled nursing centers one to five stars for quality, staffing and health inspections, plus an overall score. Phoebe Berks is the only community in Berks County that received the 5-star designation.
The scores reflect tens of thousands of inspection records, complaint investigations and quality measures, such as how many nursing staff hours were provided each day to patients, how many patients developed bedsores and how many were placed in restraints. Much of the data was collected in 2008 and 2009.
Phoebe Ministries has been a value-driven, mission-oriented organization since its founding more than 100 years ago. It’s focus on people before profits, high ethical standards and social accountability has positioned Phoebe as a leader in caring for older people, even while the standards for that care continually evolve. Phoebe voluntarily participates in a national quality improvement initiative called Quality First, through the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
One of the reasons Phoebe’s communities scored so well on the new surveys is its medical advisory committee comprised of the physicians, administrators and directors of nursing from each of Phoebe community. The committee is unique to long-term care communities and meets on a quarterly basis to evaluate clinical pathways and protocols in order to formulate Best Practices and implement them across the system.
Also, Phoebe’s board of directors monitors the quality measures for each of the communities at every board meeting as presented by the CEO. “The talented and caring staff at each of our communities, a proactive medical advisory committee and a Board of Trustees who place people before profits is what sets us apart and it is certainly not standard practice in comparable organizations.” Scott Stevenson, President/CEO, comments.
To review the survey results, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov and click on Nursing Home Compare – 5 Star Rating System under CMS Highlights.
