Riverview Health
Riverview Health Press Release

Riverview Health Remains Penalty-Free on Readmission Rates

September 22, 2015

Riverview Health is pleased to announce it is, once again, penalty-free on its 30-day readmission rates for serious health conditions, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“We recognize achieving low readmission rates allows us to be in compliance with CMS standards, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of the excellent care we’re providing our patients,” said John Paris, MD, chief medical officer at Riverview Health. “It takes a collaborative effort from everyone involved to ensure each of our patients receives the best care possible, not just in the hospital, but also once they return home. We’re certainly proud of our organization and all the staff members who make this achievement possible year after year.”

The CMS hospital readmission rate evaluation is part of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program that started in 2012, which penalizes hospitals for excess readmissions. The program was designed to improve care and optimize the healthcare system.

According to a recent report from Kaiser Health News, “The majority of the nation’s hospitals are being penalized by Medicare for having patients frequently return within a month of discharge—this time losing a combined $420 million, government records show. Since the fines began, national readmission rates have dropped, but roughly one of every five Medicare patients sent to the hospital ends up returning within a month.”

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John Paris, MD