TSVH Murfreesboro Home Achieves 5-Star Status
Friday, May 27, 2011 | 02:53am
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Tennessee State Veterans’ Home at Murfreesboro has received a five-star overall rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that regulates healthcare facilities. The rating is the highest a nursing home can receive.
“This is a huge accomplishment for the Murfreesboro staff, which worked hard to raise the bar on care for resident veterans and their families,” said Ed Harries, Executive Director of the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes. “Out of over 300 nursing home facilities in Tennessee, less than 15-percent of them are rated with 5-stars for overall operation, which indicates the home is ‘much above average.’”
According to the website www.medicare.gov, CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. The overall rating is a combination of health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. The ratings reflect data submitted between January 1, 2010 and September 30, 2010.
“We have so much to be proud of at our State Veterans’ Homes, and there is no better confirmation of the dedication of staff at the Murfreesboro facility than this five-star rating,” said Dept. of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder. “Our veterans have sacrificed so much for their country, and we’re determined to see that they get the care they deserve.”
Additional independent reviews of the TSVH show that the quality of patient care and home operations are exceeding the standard for nursing homes in the state. The US Department of Veterans Affairs last year conducted an annual operational and clinical review of each TSVH home, finding no significant issues or concerns.
The Veterans Homes have passed the scrutiny of the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tennessee Department of Health. State Veterans’ homes are located in Murfreesboro, Humboldt and Knoxville.
The Murfreesboro Veterans’ Home opened in 1991, while the newest home in Knoxville opened in 2006, and the TSVH home in Humboldt opened in 1996. Each facility has 140 beds.
The TSVH board took over management of the homes in 2005, after twice contracting with private companies.