Patients are recognizing the outstanding quality of home care they receive from Granite VNA. That’s according to data from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which shows that Granite VNA earned 5 out of 5 stars for the months of July, August, and September 2024 in CMS’s “Care Compare” rating system. This rating, based on a scale from 1 to 5, reflects Granite VNA’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care and service to the community, with 5 being the highest possible score.

Like other home care agencies around the nation, Granite VNA receives a quality score from CMS based on patient outcome data from assessments conducted at the beginning and end of the home care episode, along with claims-based data and patient and caregiver satisfaction survey results. The ratings for July, August, and September represent a significant increase compared to the 3.5 stars Granite VNA earned in January 2024.

Home Care Compare data displayed on the CMS website is based on Medicare claims for services delivered at an earlier date.

Granite VNA’s skilled home care clinicians provide individualized care and ensure coordination with the patient’s medical team, in the comfort of their homes, following a medical procedure, event or illness. The team works to ensure that patients reach their recovery goals and return to the life they desire.

“Since January 2024, we’ve seen steady improvements in our quality scores, showcasing our commitment to delivering high-quality, patient centered care,” says Amy Kucera, MS, OTR/L, COS-C, CEAS, Director of Quality at Granite VNA. “This progress is evidence of the collective efforts of our entire team. It’s crucial that every interaction our team members have with patients and their families results in a positive experience, and we’re delighted with the results.”

In the most recent ranking, Granite VNA meets or exceeds state and national averages for managing daily activities like walking independently, bed transferring, bathing, and assessment and care planning; treating symptoms including dyspnea (shortness of breath); and preventing harm, including timely initiation of care and oral medication management.
Granite VNA fosters a culture of quality-focused, patient-centric home care, seen across all the services the agency provides.

“Sharing data across our organization has been pivotal in improving our quality scores,” notes Kucera. “We use a broad range of communications channels with our team to share our current status and set clear goals for where we aim to be.”

The scores are based in part on the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS,), a group of standard data elements that home health agencies like Granite VNA integrate into their comprehensive assessments to collect and report quality data to CMS. The most-recent ranking comes from OASIS data reported in the agency’s fourth quarter, July – September 2024 of 2024.