Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Now Releasing Outcome Data on Patient Care

Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers are now included in the Centers for Medicaid and hospital quality based on what matters most to patients -- the outcomes of care. "VA is committed to providing veterans and their family members with a transparent accounting of the quality and safety of its health care system," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "In collaborating with CMS, we show our determination to be open and accountable to veterans and their families."

Release of outcomes data to the public is not new for VA. Mortality and readmission results were first posted in 2010 on the VA Hospital Compare Web site (www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/) using a similar method limited to only VA patients. VA results posted on VA's site are updated quarterly and will not match the results on CMS Hospital Compare, which are only updated annually and lag about a year...