April 29 ,2021 – Madison Memorial Hospital was given a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the largest federal agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The Rexburg-based hospital, with its 69 staffed beds, was one of only 3 hospitals in the state of Idaho to receive the coveted 5- star award. The other two were St. Luke’s Magic Valley (213 staffed beds) and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise (578 staffed beds).

Altogether, Idaho’s 47 registered hospitals were awarded CMS star
ratings as follows:

1. 1. * (1 star: No Idaho hospitals)
   2. ** (2 stars: 5 Idaho hospitals)
   3. *** (3 stars: 7 Idaho hospitals)
   4. **** (4 stars: 7 Idaho hospitals)
   5. ***** (5 stars: 3 Idaho hospitals)

(No stars: 25 Idaho hospitals)
TOTAL (47 Idaho hospitals)

Nationwide, of 5,382 hospitals registered with CMS, only 8% (455 hospitals) were given a 5 star rating, effectively placing Madison Memorial in the top 8% of all hospitals nationwide. The national distribution of CMS star designations for 2021 was as follows:

1. 1. 1. * (1 star: 204 hospitals)
      2. ** (2 stars: 690 hospitals)
      3. *** (3 stars: 1,018 hospitals)
      4. **** (4 stars: 988 hospitals)
      5. ***** (5 stars: 455 hospitals)

(No stars: 2,027 hospitals)
TOTAL (5,382 hospitals)

CMS awards their star ratings based on 48 individual criteria spread across five categories:

1. 1. 1. Mortality
      2. Safety of care
      3. Readmission
      4. Patient Experience
      5. Timely and Effective Care

To achieve the 5-star designation, Madison Memorial was awarded quality marks in each of the five areas. “It’s extremely validating to have our hard work be recognized in this way, particularly during a pandemic year,” said Dr. Rachel Gonzales, Chief Executive Officer at Madison Memorial. “After being ranked in the nation’s top 100 rural and community hospitals last month by Becker’s Hospital Review, this new 5-star rating further confirms the fact that eastern Idaho is fortunate to have a nationally-ranked healthcare institution right here in Rexburg.”

“CMS has been assigning star ratings to hospitals for the past five years,” said Doug McBride, the hospital’s Executive Director of Business Development. “For Madison Memorial to achieve this 5- star result says volumes for the extraordinary quality of care and professionalism provided by our exceptional staff, as well as the amazing doctors who live in this area.”