Area nursing home owners say the federal government's new rating system is a good first step but, by itself, could mislead the public.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday released its first-ever nursing home rating system, which gives each home a rating of from one to five stars. About 22 percent of the nation's nearly 16,000 nursing homes received one star, the lowest rating, and 12 percent received five stars, the top grade.
In an eight-county region of Western Pennsylvania, 133 nursing homes were rated.
Stars were given based on criteria such as staffing and how well the nursing homes fared in state inspections.
Owners of two or more nursing homes particularly were perplexed with the ratings. Some of their properties received a single star, while others were awarded five stars.
"We own three care communities and operate another two in the region, and all operate under the same standards of care," said Pat Kornick, spokeswoman for Presbyterian SeniorCare, based in Oakmont.
One of Presbyterian SeniorCare's facilities -- the Willows of Presbyterian SeniorCare in Oakmont -- received a single star. But Longwood at Oakmont in Verona garnered a five-star rating.
"We fully support quality-of-care measurements, but we also believe that quality of life is important -- and this star system doesn't address quality of life," Kornick said. "To us, the truest indication of how we're doing is the daily report card that we get from our residents and their families."
In Allegheny County, 25 percent -- or 16 or 64 nursing homes -- received single-star ratings, or much-below-average performance. Two of the poorest-performing facilities within the county are owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center -- Canterbury Place in Lawrenceville and UPMC Heritage Place in Squirrel Hill.
"Some of the data in this rating system is both older and unclear, with questionable methodology that may cause fear in the public," said UPMC spokeswoman Gloria Kreps. "Our concern is that this may also cause unnecessary fear among our patients and their families."
For-profit and nonprofit facilities are included in the federal rating, as were government-owned nursing homes.
Allegheny County's four John J. Kane centers received varied ratings -- a five-star rating for the nursing home in Scott, three stars for the Kanes in Ross and Glen Hazel, and two stars for the McKeesport facility.
"It's too early to make a determination as to how the criteria plays into such a complex area," said Dennis Blondo, executive director of the Kane facilities. "It's very difficult to understand how you can place a rating on something as personal as where somebody lives. There is much more that goes into quality of life for a nursing-home resident.
"Having said that, we're very pleased at the five-star ranking for our Scott facility, and I feel all our centers deserve a five-star ranking," Blondo added.
In Westmoreland County, three of 22 nursing homes were awarded one star, while two received five stars. Of Washington County's 12 nursing homes, three were given a single star, while no facilities garnered a five-star rating. In Butler County, one of 13 nursing homes received a single-star rating, while three were given five stars.
Two of Fayette County's eight nursing homes earned one-star ratings, while one facility garnered a five-star grade. Two of Beaver County's seven facilities received single stars, while none garnered five stars. None of Indiana County's five homes or Greene County's two nursing facilities were given one or five stars.
Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C., said the agency's ratings were based on data already on its Web site and were aimed at making it easier for patients and families to choose a nursing home. He said it can be difficult for people to understand all the aspects of an inspection.
Lyn Manns, administrator at Sycamore Creek Nursing Center in Kennedy, said the data used in determining her facility's one-star rating were old. Mann said the nursing home's owner, Cleveland-based Sabre Healthcare Group, has been making improvements -- the latest of which is a new name. Effective Friday, the facility now is known as Caring Heights Community Care and Rehabilitation Center.
"We invite people to come out, take a look at what we're doing," said Manns.
Even five-star facilities are somewhat cautious in acknowledging the top-notch rating.
"We really weren't surprised at this. We know our staff and leadership team does a great job, and this ranking took notice of that," said Chris Newport, administrator at Covenant at South Hills in Mt. Lebanon, a five-star awardee.
"We're ecstatic we were awarded five stars, we work hard at what we do, but all nursing homes strive to do the best they can do," said Sister Bernice Fiedor, administrator at St. Anne Home in Greensburg.
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