Barstow, CA — The Veterans Home of California – Barstow today received a “Four-Star” rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a two-star increase from its previous rating. CMS created the Quality Rating System, from one to five stars, to help consumers and their families compare nursing homes.

“Having CMS increase the rating for our Barstow veterans home by two steps is the latest proof that our efforts to provide the absolute best care to our veterans are paying off,” said Coby Petersen, Deputy Secretary for Veterans Homes, at the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet). “The dramatic improvements we have seen in our CMS results across the board are a reflection of our entire agency’s commitment to providing the level of service our veterans deserve.”

The annual and periodic surveys conducted by the Department of Public Health for this determination evaluate compliance with Medicare health and safety standards for acute and continuing care providers, including nursing homes, with respect to health inspections and data on registered nurse staffing, support staffing, and quality measures, healthcare inspection and overall quality.  These four categories are then combined into an overall quality rating of one to five stars.

“We are pleased that this CMS rating reflects the significant quality-improvement efforts we’ve made over the past several years that put the home in the top 20 percent in quality as judged against America’s 13,000 nursing homes,” said James Sullivan, Administrator at the Barstow Veterans Home. “We will continue to focus on providing the highest quality of care, and quality of life, for our residents.”

Opened February 1996, VHC – Barstow is a 220-bed facility providing options for independent living for senior and disabled veterans, intermediate care and skilled nursing care. It is one of eight homes operated by CalVet, with other homes located in Yountville, Fresno, West Los Angeles, Redding, Ventura, Lancaster and Chula Vista.  See all of the homes and learn more about CalVet at www.calvet.ca.gov.