Health First Home Care Program Earns Prestigious CMS 5-Star Patient Survey Rating

Patient Survey Rating from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services

 Program exceeded both state and national average benchmarks on every metric.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Health First’s Home Care program has earned a prestigious 5-Star Patient Survey Rating from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2024-2025. 

The CMS home health agency patient survey star rating uses a 5-star scale to make it easier for consumers to compare home health agencies.

More stars mean better quality care. The star ratings come from the patient experience of care survey, also called the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) survey.

The survey collects feedback from current or recently discharged home health agency patients (or their family or friends) about their experiences with a home health agency. The CMS star rating is the first national standard for collecting information on home health agency patient experiences that allow for valid comparisons between home health agencies. 

Health First Home Care received nearly 1,400 completed surveys – with a 32 percent response rate. In fact, Health First exceeded the State and National Average benchmarks on every metric.

“Our mission at Health First is to create a stronger, healthier community. We understand the challenges of recovery – whether from illness, injury or surgery, and our goal is to make the healing process as comfortable as possible. Home care allows our patients the ability to avoid the pain and inconvenience of traveling to a doctor’s office, hospital, or rehabilitation center when they are recovering or not feeling well,” said Valerie Kenworthy, Vice President for Outpatient Operations, Health First.

“The CMS ratings are undoubtedly the most thorough and stringent available in our industry today. I am proud of every member of the Health First Home Care team for their commitment to patient care, which has garnered the highest accolades. But most importantly, so many of our valued customers chose to make their voices heard by taking part in this survey – which raises the bar and inspires us all to continue improving our services,” Kenworthy continued.

According to CMS guidelines, a home health agency must receive a response rate of at least 40 completed surveys from patients to receive a Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) star rating; agencies with fewer than 40 completed surveys won’t have a star rating displayed due to insufficient data to accurately measure their performance.

Health First respondents nearly doubled the national average response rate – 18 percent.

“Once a patient leaves the hospital after an illness, injury or surgery, their road to recovery is just beginning. Our job is to help get them to the finish line,” said Michelle Rogers, System Director for Home Care and Private Duty.

“A CMS 5-Star rating is a wonderful achievement for our entire team and certainly lets our patients and their loved ones know that we are committed to excellence.”  

Health First Home Care offers short-term assistance and medical care while patients recover in the comfort of their own home.

Patients may qualify for home care for the following reasons:

■ Hospitalizations

■ Outpatient surgery

■ Severe illness

■ Injury that affects your ability to leave home for treatment

■ Other medical condition requiring skilled care

Home Care services are available for those who qualify with a written order from a licensed Florida doctor. Patients are encouraged to consult with a physician with questions about criteria.

If a primary care physician is out of state, Health First can connect individuals with a local provider to manage their care here in Brevard County.

For more information on Health First Home Care, visit hf.org/homecare or call 321-434-5909.

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