The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services maintains the website https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html, which provides an array of measures that report on individual hospitals and other types of health care providers. Access the website for help in completing this case.

Required
a. What is the purpose of the Hospital Compare site?
b. The site allows you to find a hospital and assess how it compares to state and/or federal statistics. There are several categories of measures, including general information; survey of patients’ experiences; timely and effective care; complications; read missions and deaths; use of medical imaging; payment; and value of care. Enter information to locate a hospital of interest to you. Once the hospital is located, complete the following.
1. Compare and evaluate the survey of patients’ experiences relative to state and federal statistics.
2. Compare and evaluate timely and effective care for emergency department care relative to state (if available) and federal statistics.
3. Compare and evaluate under read missions and deaths the 30-day outcome information relative to state (if available) and federal statistics.
4. Overall, what star rating did your hospital receive? Based on your review of the hospital, do you agree with the star rating? Why or why not?
c. Explain how such factors as patient mix, occupancy rate, average length of stay, payor mix (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, third-party insurers, self-pay, and charity care), and the hospital’s financial condition may affect the quality of care.