Our Methodology

How MedicalFacilities.org sources, processes, and presents CMS Care Compare data, including star ratings, staffing measures, penalties, and their limitations.

This page describes where our data originates, how we handle it, and what the numbers actually represent. Being transparent about method matters more than any individual score.

Primary source

Our provider data is drawn from public datasets released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through Care Compare and the CMS Provider Data Catalog, and by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Health Center Program. These are United States government works and are generally in the public domain. We keep source provenance on every facility record, including the source name, the dataset identifier, and the processing date.

How we process the data

1. Acquire. We download the published federal datasets covering hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers, home health agencies, hospice programs, and community health centers.
2. Normalize. We standardize names, addresses, geographic fields, and identifiers so that records can be joined and compared.
3. Compute aggregates. For state, county, and city pages we derive counts, average ratings, and bed totals from the underlying provider rows.
4. Render. We display the values as published, with the strengths and limits of each measure spelled out on the page.

Star ratings and quality measures

CMS publishes an overall star rating for nursing homes that blends health inspection results, staffing, and quality measures. Each component draws on different data with different reporting periods. A high score in one domain does not guarantee quality in another. We label ratings as CMS data and neither recalculate nor override them.

Staffing and turnover

Staffing measures describe reported hours per resident per day and staff turnover. Reporting methods differ, and the figures reflect an average that may not match any specific shift or unit. Patient acuity is not fully captured by hours alone.

Penalties and enforcement

Fine and denial totals come from CMS enforcement data. A penalty is evidence of a past deficiency, not proof that a problem continues today, and the absence of a penalty is not a guarantee of quality.

Limitations

• Data trails real-world change and may not capture recent ownership or staffing shifts.
• Measures are population-level summaries, not predictions about any individual.
• Small providers may have few data points, which makes averages unstable.
• Our aggregation is mechanical and makes no adjustment for local market differences.

Corrections and updates

We re-pull source data whenever CMS publishes updates and correct errors in our own processing. To report a problem, use the contact page. See Data Sources for the exact datasets and licenses.

MedicalFacilities.org is an independent informational directory. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by CMS or any government agency. Informational only, not medical advice.