Hospital Quality and the Role of Public Scorecards

Tod Baker, Dr. Rick May, and Haylee Peterpaul highlight how hospitals can strengthen performance by prioritizing the most meaningful metrics and building long‑term structures to support improvement. With the growing influence of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) star ratings, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, and payer quality programs, they emphasize the importance of clear processes, strong communication, and sustained teamwork.

Although public scorecards rely on limited and often older data, consistent internal progress and a quality culture ultimately drive better outcomes and stronger public performance.

Selected Transcript Summary

[0:33] Improving scorecard performance begins with narrowing the focus to the most meaningful metrics and strengthening internal processes for managing data. Dr. Rick May and Haylee Peterpaul highlight the importance of prioritization, understanding data sources, and dedicating resources to support sustained improvement.

[2:03] Consumers continue to rely heavily on CMS star ratings and the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, even though several other scorecard options exist. Rick and Haylee point out that payers increasingly use CMS data for their own quality and bonus programs and that hospitals often overlook payer bonus metrics even though financial stakes are higher.

[4:56] Scorecards can help drive quality improvement initiatives, especially among nurses caring for patients.  Haylee emphasizes the critical role nurses play in connecting bedside care to scorecard outcomes, supported by strong communication across all levels of the organization.

[6:34] Public scorecards rely on older, limited Medicare data and complex methodologies, making focused and sustained improvement essential. Rick and Haylee encourage hospital teams to have patience, recognize internal progress, and commit to long‑term quality efforts, even when public results take time to reflect actual performance gains.