Butterworth and Blodgett receive top quality ranking from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

July 27, 2023

Grand Rapids, Mich., July 27, 2023 –Butterworth and Blodgett hospitals, part of Corewell Health, have received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for strong performance in key quality measures including mortality and readmission rates.

“Being in the top 15% of hospitals nationwide to receive this five-star rating is a significant milestone for us,” said James Bonner, vice president of quality, safety and experience for Corewell Health. “We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and can’t say enough about all of the teams and the work they did to make this happen.”

More than 4,650 hospitals across the country for 2023 were rated by CMS using a seven-step process, which ultimately aims to arm patients with information about how hospitals are performing when seeking care. Butterworth and Blodgett were two of only 483 hospitals to receive the five-star rating.

CMS uses more than 45 measures that are based on five categories including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience as well as timely and effective care. Both Blodgett and Butterworth improved performance in all five categories but particularly in lowering 30-day mortality rates and decreasing patient readmissions. Both locations went from a three-star rating last year to the highest possible spot of five stars this year.

“Much of the improvement, specifically around how many times a patient is readmitted, stems from the dedicated work of our teams across departments who looked at ways to improve how we discharge patients and all the planning that happens around that,” Bonner said. “This includes ensuring follow-up appointments are established well in advance, helping patients access the medications they need after leaving the hospital, and completing a smooth handoff between hospital team members to care teams in the community.”

Bonner added that implementing more detailed documentation measures also was key, especially for patients with complex needs, which led to even better care and outcomes.

“The patient is at the center of all that we do, and we always want to make sure the patient and family are fully engaged with their health care providers and are knowledgeable about what they have to do for their ongoing needs,” Bonner said.

Additional Corewell Health hospitals receiving a five-star CMS rating include Gerber Community Hospital in Freemont, Michigan, for the second time in a row and Zeeland Community Hospital in Zeeland, Michigan, which received five stars for the fifth time.

About Corewell Health™

People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 22 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.2 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.

Contact:
Sarina Gleason
Media Relations
Phone: 517.256.5618
Email: sarina.gleason@corewellhealth.org