April 13, 2023
[Cleveland, OH] – In its most recent quarterly review of nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded its highest overall rating – 5-Stars – to St. Augustine Manor.
Accessible at www.medicare.gov/care-compare, ratings are based upon a nursing facility’s scores for health inspections, staffing and quality measures. The CMS quality rating system gives each nursing home a rating of between 1 and 5 stars. Nursing homes with 5 stars are considered to have a much-above average quality. The rating system was created to help consumers, their families and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. But Elayne Newcomb, LNHA and other local nursing home administrators caution that people shouldn’t rely on the rating system alone when selecting a nursing home. They remind consumers to talk to families and residents and make visits at various times of the day to get a good idea of what a facility is truly like.
Newcomb, Administrator of St. Augustine Health Campus’ skilled and long-term-care facility, said attaining the 5-star rating was an exceptional achievement considering recent, industry-wide challenges, namely COVID and staffing issues. “We are honored to be rated among the best by CMS,” she said. “We’ve weathered a few storms of late and to persevere and excel speaks volumes for our team, our commitment and the compassionate care we provide to our residents.”
Out of the 254 homes in the Greater Cleveland area, 17% have been awarded 5 stars for overall quality by CMS. Of these, seven are hospital-based and 25 of these homes care for fewer than 100 residents. St. Augustine cares for over 200 residents and is listed in the top 5% of skilled-care facilities in Ohio that serve the most medically complex residents (Ohio Department Health).
“Our mission is to care for those who need us,” says Colleen Wilson, Director of Nursing. “We have a very skilled and compassionate team, but we also work with very complex patients that other facilities usually don’t care for. That makes this accomplishment so much greater.”
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For nearly 55 years, St. Augustine Health Ministries has provided health care, senior housing, and community services to thousands of Clevelanders ‒ primarily the chronically ill and aging. As a not-for-profit, faith-based organization, St. Augustine relies on the support of its friends and partners in the community to help bring these services to those in need.
