Yankton hospital named as a 5-Star facility

YANKTON, SD – Avera Sacred Heart Hospital has been named a 5-star facility by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Star ratings enable consumers to quickly and easily assess the patient experience and quality of care information provided on the Care Compare website.

“I’m very proud of our professional caregivers and providers for offering high quality, compassionate care,” said Doug Ekeren, Avera Sacred Heart Regional President and CEO. “It takes all members of the care team – our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, care techs, food service team members, housekeepers and so many more – to achieve a 5-star rating. It’s a third-party recognition that we are providing the right care at the right time on a consistent basis.”

Besides Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Avera sites earning the highest (5-star) rating include:

• Avera St. Luke’s Hospital – Aberdeen, SD

• Avera Heart Hospital – Sioux Falls, SD

• Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center – Marshall, MN “Providing high quality, compassionate care to every patient at every encounter is a consistent focus for all that deliver care at Avera,” said Kevin Post, DO, Avera’s Chief Medical Officer. “Sincere gratitude and congratulations to our teams earning top star ratings. The hard work and dedication to serving our communities is truly recognized and celebrated through this distinct honor.”

CMS updated data on Care Compare, including the overall hospital quality star rating, on July 31, 2024. This recent data refresh included 2,847 hospitals. Of those, 381 received a 5-star rating. The Care Compare overall hospital rating system summarizes a variety of quality measures into a single star rating, making it easier for consumers to compare hospitals. The overall star rating summarizes quality information, including mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience and timely and effective care. The four top performing Avera sites consistently exceeded national scores.

The Avera Health system has over 20,800 employees and physicians, serving more than 315 locations and 100 communities in a five-state region.