Only facility in Vt or NH to earn the top rating
The White River Junction Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (WRJ VAHCS) announced Sept. 5 that it received a 5-star Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). WRJ VA was the only facility in Vermont and New Hampshire to earn the top rating.
The measures used to calculate overall CMS Star Ratings are mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. The more stars (out of 5), the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures.
Across both VA and non-VA hospitals nationwide, just over 8% of facilities rated received a 5-star rating in the 2024 data. These findings are the latest in a series of recent evaluations showing the effectiveness of VA health care compared to non-VA health care, revealing that VA health care is consistently as good as — or better than — non-VA health care.
“This is an outstanding achievement. My sincere gratitude goes out to our amazing staff. They are true professionals who care deeply for veterans, consistently going the extra mile to provide excellent care and maintain a healing environment for our patients,” said WRJ VAHCS Executive Director Brett Rusch, MD. “These five stars affirm our commitment to excellence and dedication to our veterans.”
The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs healthcare system in WRJ is a fully accredited acute medical and surgical care facility offering primary and subspecialty outpatient care, including rehabilitation and mental health services. The WRJ VA Healthcare system serves veterans in Vermont and the four contiguous counties of New Hampshire.
