Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: August 9, 2002
Contact: Robert J. Marshall, Ph.D. 222-1017

RI Releases Updated Information on Nursing Home Quality

Updated information on nursing home quality is now available to the public for nearly all Rhode Island nursing homes. Rhode Island is one of six states participating in a quality improvement pilot project designed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help nursing homes improve quality of care and to assist consumers in finding the best nursing home for their needs. CMS posted the updated information (using data for the first quarter of 2002) for all six states in July. The new state-specific data for Rhode Island is available in a special format, starting today, on the Department of Health (HEALTH) website: Nursing Home Clinical Measures.

The HEALTH website identifies 97 of 103 Rhode Island nursing homes by location and rates each one on nine clinical measures. Facilities ranked in the bottom 15 percent for each clinical measure receive one "diamond." Those ranked among the top 15 percent receive three "diamonds". Six facilities do not participate in the Medicaid program, a requirement to be in the pilot project.