The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a patient satisfaction survey run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Responses are collected from a random sample of adult patients between 48 hours and 6 weeks after discharge from the hospital.
What does HCAHPS measure?
HCAHPS survey questions ask for a patient’s feedback on their hospital experience, including ratings for:
- Communication with nurses
- Communication with doctors
- Responsiveness when help is required
- Pain management
- Communication about medicines
- Discharge information
- Cleanliness and quietness of a hospital environment
- Overall hospital rating
The survey results provide standardized data for hospitals to compare their results. In addition, the publicly reported scores create transparency on the patient’s perspective of their care and hospital stay.
The Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product tracks HCAHPS scores for more than 3,200 U.S. hospitals. This Healthcare Insight reviews the top U.S. hospitals by net patient revenue for facilities with the highest and lowest HCAHPS ratings based on the October 2024 Care Compare results, which reflect 2023 data.
Top 10 5-star HCAHPS hospitals by net patient revenue
| Rank | Hospital | City | State | NPR | # of discharges |
| 1 | University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston | TX | $4,900,379,136 | 29,176 |
| 2 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York | NY | $4,885,776,896 | 25,224 |
| 3 | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | PA | $3,364,264,192 | 41,921 |
| 4 | Mayo Clinic Hospital - Arizona | Phoenix | AZ | $2,583,603,456 | 18,678 |
| 5 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Boston | MA | $2,258,328,320 | 1,300 |
| 6 | The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute | Columbus | OH | $1,947,339,776 | 14,448 |
| 7 | Moffitt Cancer Center Magnolia Campus | Tampa | FL | $1,910,262,784 | 10,892 |
| 8 | City of Hope Atlanta Cancer Hospital | Newnan | GA | $1,562,940,672 | 933 |
| 9 | Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center | Buffalo | NY | $772,346,624 | 5,244 |
| 10 | USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center | Los Angeles | CA | $523,064,480 | 1,491 |
Fig 1. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product and sourced from 2023 HCAHPS results published by CMS. Accessed December 2024.
What are the largest hospitals with the highest HCAHPS scores?
The top three hospitals in terms of net patient revenue (NPR) among 5-star HCAHPS hospitals are the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
MD Anderson Cancer Center, located in Houston, Texas, leads with a remarkable NPR of $4.9 billion from 29,176 discharges. Close behind is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, with an NPR of $4.89 billion and 25,224 discharges. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania ranks third, generating $3.36 billion in NPR from 41,921 discharges.
Most hospitals on our list, including the top three, are cancer centers. The specialized and personalized care provided by cancer centers could result in positive patient survey results.
Top 10 1-star HCAHPS hospitals by net patient revenue
| Rank | Hospital | City | State | NPR | # of discharges |
| 1 | Mount Sinai Beth Israel | New York | NY | $2,946,083,840 | 19,981 |
| 2 | Westchester Medical Center | Valhalla | NY | $1,774,992,768 | 27,936 |
| 3 | NYC Health and Hospitals - Jacobi | Bronx | NY | $1,138,889,344 | 23,028 |
| 4 | BronxCare Hospital Center - Fulton Campus | Bronx | NY | $871,269,568 | 22,026 |
| 5 | Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center | Las Vegas | NV | $840,164,224 | 38,812 |
| 6 | Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center | Brooklyn | NY | $706,667,264 | 19,115 |
| 7 | SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St Louis | Bridgeton | MO | $699,264,384 | 23,301 |
| 8 | NYC Health and Hospitals - Lincoln | Bronx | NY | $693,451,392 | 16,341 |
| 9 | HCA Florida JFK Hospital | Atlantis | FL | $688,349,056 | 32,091 |
| 10 | Jamaica Hospital Medical Center | Jamaica | NY | $641,687,488 | 13,895 |
Fig 2. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product and sourced from 2023 HCAHPS results published by CMS. Accessed December 2024.
What are the largest hospitals with the lowest HCAHPS scores?
The top three hospitals with the lowest HCAHPS ratings (1-star) based on net patient revenue (NPR) are Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Westchester Medical Center, and NYC Health and Hospitals - Jacobi. Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York ranks first with an NPR of $2.95 billion and 19,981 discharges. Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, follows with $1.77 billion in NPR and 27,936 discharges. In third place is NYC Health and Hospitals - Jacobi in the Bronx, generating $1.14 billion in NPR with 23,028 discharges.
These hospitals, despite their high net patient revenue, have struggled with patient satisfaction, reflected in their low HCAHPS scores. Low scores can be due to a number of factors and may be a result of higher patient-to-provider ratios, busy patient-care settings, or staffing shortages.
Learn more
Want easy access to financial and quality metrics for the hospitals in your market? Start a free trial today and see how healthcare commercial intelligence from Definitive Healthcare can shape your business strategy.
You might also be interested in...
