LAKEPORT, Calif. – Centers for Medicare Service & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently awarded Sutter Lakeside Hospital with a four star rating.

Sutter Lakeside accounts for one of only six California Critical Access Hospitals to receive a four star rating.

“We feel immense pride in this recognition,” said Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Dan Peterson. “CMS ratings consider a hospital’s performance on 57 quality metrics in comparison with other facilities throughout the country. This is the first year that Sutter Lakeside has earned four stars.”

The data, which is publicly available on the medicare.gov website, reports on measures including patient experience survey results, timeliness of care, rate of procedure complications and value of care.

Data is collected from both Medicare and non-Medicare patients, according to the Medicare Web site.

Critical Access refers to a CMS designation given to rural hospitals to ensure access to healthcare in remote communities.

A Critical Access Hospital is licensed for 25 beds, and must network with a hospital capable of taking high acuity patients.

Benefits of Critical Access status include the ability to directly employ physicians, cost-based reimbursement from Medicare and access to Flex Program resources.

“While Sutter Lakeside is the only Critical Access Hospital in the Sutter Health system, we consistently deliver excellent clinical care without losing focus of compassion and empathy for our patients and their experiences,” said Peterson. “We feel privileged to serve the needs of Lake County, and continually strive for improvement.”

Sutter Lakeside’s recent accolades also include an honor-roll designation for C-section rates from the California Health and Human Services Department for reducing cesarean births for low-risk first time mothers.

Additionally, Sutter Lakeside’s overall rating jumped 10 percent last year according to patient experience survey results.