UF Health Shands receives top care, safety rating from U.S. government

Press release from UF Health

BY GREG HARRISON

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Recognized for delivering the highest levels of quality care and patient safety, UF Health Shands Hospital has earned a five-star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The designation positions the flagship hospital for Florida’s premier academic health system among an elite group nationwide. Fewer than 10% of hospitals earn this distinction.

“At UF Health, our goal is to always provide the best service possible and exceptional care for our patients and their families,” said Michael Holmes, M.S.A., UF Health senior vice president and its Greater Gainesville regional president. “This is a significant honor that speaks to a deep, organizationwide commitment to clinical excellence and continuous improvement — not to a single initiative or short-term effort.”

The CMS star rating allows patients and families to compare hospitals based on quality and safety metrics. It evaluates how well hospitals care for patients through their healthcare experience, assessing performance across areas including outcomes, safety, timely and effective care, readmissions, and patient experience.

“The CMS five-star designation reflects sustained performance across multiple dimensions of quality, safety, and patient experience,” said John Hollingsworth, M.D., chief quality officer for the UF Health clinical enterprise. “For us, this recognition is meaningful because it represents the collective work of physicians, nurses, and staff across the organization to deliver highly reliable, patient-centered care. While we’re proud of this achievement, we also recognize that clinical excellence requires constant vigilance and continuous improvement.”

The five-star designation is the latest in a series of honors that attest to the quality and high level of patient care provided at UF Health Shands Hospital, which is consistently recognized among America’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Health Grades’ top 250 hospitals list and other leading rankings.