Northwest Specialty Hospital receives 5-star rating

In April 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ranked more than 3,500 hospitals nationwide on a series of patient-ranked criteria.

Of those hospitals, just more than 250 hospitals received a five-star rating for patient satisfaction. Northwest Specialty Hospital was the only hospital in North Idaho to receive the five-star rating. These scores reflect a composite of 11 individual measures of the patient experience that are provided to each patient after discharge in a survey called the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Survey.

The HCAHPS Survey has been endorsed by the National Quality Forum, which is a national organization that represents the consensus of many health care providers, consumer groups, professional associations, purchasers, federal agencies and research organizations. Implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2008, it serves to enhance accountability in health care by increasing the transparency of the quality of hospital care.

Northwest Specialty Hospital (NWSH) was the only hospital in North Idaho awarded a five-star rating for patient satisfaction. Only three of 22 hospitals in Idaho received a five-star rating, including Northwest Specialty Hospital, St. Luke's McCall and St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center.

"Our staff and physician owners are proud to be rated the only hospital in North Idaho to receive a five-star rating for patient satisfaction," said CEO Rick Rasmussen. "Who better to vote us No. 1 than our own patients? We work very hard to offer a compassionate and relaxing, hospitality-like environment for our patients. From our high nurse-to-patient ratio, large private rooms, to gourmet dining, it's all about the patient's comfort," Rasmussen said.

Northwest Specialty Hospital, located in Post Falls, is owned and operated by local physicians. Established in 2003, it is one of only 238 physicians-owned and operated facilities in the United States. The connection that the physicians at Northwest Specialty Hospital have with their patients provides firsthand feedback on what patients want and need, allowing the hospital to provide better patient care.