Glacial Ridge Hospital staff earned a nationally recognized 5-star hospital patient experience rating. Of 130 hospitals in Minnesota, Glacial Ridge is 1 of 8 hospitals in the state to be identified with a 5-star rating. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publically released its latest report on January 26, 2022.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey used for the ratings is a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients about their experiences during a recent inpatient hospital stay. Patients are asked important topics like how well nurses and doctors communicated, how responsive hospital staff was to their needs, and the cleanliness and quietness of the hospital environment. Glacial Ridge Hospital has been recognized as a 5-Star Hospital for Patient Experience since 2016.

“Meaningful recognition has even greater relevance and importance to our team after meeting two years of additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Lynn Flesner, Glacial Ridge Hospital’s Director of Nursing. “It’s a testament to our entire teams’ commitment to being their best self – providing heartfelt, quality care to each person at every encounter,” she added.

Glacial Ridge Health System’s CEO Kirk Stensrud commends all staff for this achievement. “Staff at Glacial Ridge treat patients as individuals. They strive not only to meet but exceed the person’s expectations. They feel it’s the right thing to do, and it’s intrinsically rewarding.” Stensrud stated, “As an organization, we focus on making sure everyone understands what ‘heartfelt care’ means. It’s the foundation of  ‘how’ our staff provides the best medical care they can to the communities we serve.”

Stensrud spoke about maintaining the organization’s focus. “When employees treat each other with value and respect, patients benefit from the quality and delivery of optimal health care. It takes everyone’s commitment to accomplish what the staff has as a whole, and they should be proud.”

Star ratings make it easier for consumers to use the information on the national Care Compare website and spotlight excellence in hospital and nursing home quality. CMS publically reports over 150 hospital quality measures on the Care Compare website at https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/.