HARLINGEN – Harlingen Medical Center has achieved a 5-star rating – the highest rating possible in U.S. government rankings — reflecting a very high level of healthcare services which is available to Valley residents at the hospital off the Expressway 83 frontage road in Harlingen.
The 5-star rating — on a scale of one to five from the U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — indicates an above-average performance by Harlingen Medical Center. By comparison, no other hospitals in the Valley achieved higher than a 4-star rating – and most other hospitals in the country received only a 3-star rating.
The recently-released “Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings” are available to the public on the “Hospital Compare” website (www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov).
CMS rated the overall quality of almost 4,000 hospitals in the United States, using 64 measures of performance in seven major categories:
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Safety of care
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Mortality rates
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Readmission rates
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Effectiveness of care
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Patient experience
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Effective use of medical imaging
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Timeliness of care
Harlingen Medical Center has recently been undergoing expansions in order to serve an increasing number of Valley patients who have been coming to the award-winning hospital. A newly-renovated emergency room — which opened in June 2017 at the hospital at 5501 S. Expressway in Harlingen — was a first step in the expansion project. A new Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Endoscopy Lab, and additional operating rooms for surgical procedures will also allow Harlingen Medical Center to better meet the needs of a growing community and continue to deliver compassionate, quality care.
Brenda Ivory, President and Chief Executive Officer at Harlingen Medical Center, said the 5-star score “reflects the dedication of the physicians, nurses and other health professionals at our hospital, in serving our patients with high-quality, compassionate, and personalized care.”
“At Harlingen Medical Center, we are all committed to creating an exceptional patient experience,” Ms. Ivory added. “And that includes ensuring we effectively communicate with our patients, ensuring we are responsive to their needs, and ensuring we provide a quiet and clean environment during their stay with us.”
Amy Flores, Chief Nursing Officer at Harlingen Medical Center, said that “our people are what make the difference at our hospital … they are our greatest asset.”
“We are here to serve,” Ms. Flores added. “At the heart of all of these quality ratings — and of everything else that we do — is to take care of our patients in the best possible way.”
For more information on the quality programs and services available at Harlingen Medical Center, please call (956) 365-1000 or visit www.HarlingenMedicalCenter.com.