Kenansville, N.C. — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that ECU Health Duplin Hospital received a 5-star rating in the Physician Communication category.

CMS uses the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey to determine and publicly report star ratings for 10 measures regarding patient experience — communication with doctors is one of the measures. The HCAHPS survey is administered to a random sample of patients after their hospital stay and consists of 29 questions. The physician communication star rating is determined using three questions that focus on how well patients feel their doctors listened carefully, explained things and treated them with courtesy and respect.

“Our community is fortunate to be served by such a knowledgeable and caring group of providers,” said Dr. Chad Kornegay, chief of the medical staff, ECU Health Duplin. “I’m proud of our team and the fact that we were one of seven North Carolina hospitals recognized for physician communication and one of 357 hospitals recognized nationwide.”

“The providers here at ECU Health Duplin Hospital are some of the best in the country and they have truly earned this five-star rating,” said Jeff Dial, president of ECU Health Duplin. “Our team has set a high standard of performance for themselves and it is no surprise that we are seeing these results. They provide high-quality, respectful and compassionate care to every patient, every day.”