UNITED STATES –

Fifteen Defense Health Agency facilities earned top marks from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for how well they prepare patients to leave the hospital, according to an analysis by Becker’s Hospital Review.

The report identified 15 military hospitals and clinics that received a five-star rating for “Care Transitions” from CMS. The rating reflects how patients judged their discharge planning and follow-up instructions after an inpatient stay — a critical time in the patient care journey, said Dr. Paul Cordts, DHA deputy assistant director, medical affairs.

“A five-star CMS rating in care transitions shows our teams exceed national benchmarks during one of the most risk-prone moments in care,” he said, noting that strong care coordination, teamwork, and patient-centered discharge planning led to the CMS recognition.

CMS listed hospital and clinic ratings based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, asking patients about their experience during a recent inpatient hospital stay. Responses were drawn from adult patients discharged from general acute care hospitals in the previous 30 days. The survey was completed between October 2023 and September 2024, and data was updated July 16, 2025.

Awarded military hospitals and clinics

The DHA military hospitals and clinics that received a five-star rating from CMS included:

Cordts said the recognition demonstrates the agency’s commitment to operational readiness: “By taking superior care of the patient, the DHA also takes care of the warfighter.”

Measuring patient experience

CMS scored hospitals and clinics through a survey asking patients to rate their health care experience through three key components:

During this hospital stay, staff took my preferences and those of my family or caregiver into account in deciding what my health care needs would be when I left.
When I left the hospital, I clearly understood the purpose for taking each of my medications.

Dr. Kristen Atterbury, DHA chief nursing officer, said those questions showed patients understood what to do after hospitalization — such as how to manage recovery, take medications correctly, and follow instructions — that can reduce complications and avoidable readmissions. “When we do those three things well, we empower patients, improve safety, and build trust,” she said.

Sharing decision-making, clearly communicating responsibilities, and thorough medication education are “cornerstones of a safe and positive patient experience,” while helping relieve the burden of recovering from injury and illness, Atterbury said. “A stressed and distracted service member is not a ready one.”

Aligning with DHA lines of effort

Cordts and Atterbury said the recognition correlates directly with DHA’s priorities of combat support, care reattraction, and enterprise services optimization.

Combat support “helps the force stay ready. A ready medical force supports a ready fighting force,” Cordts said.
Care reattraction to keep patients in the Military Health System is "about trust and getting patients to choose military hospitals when they can," Cordts explained. He noted an external, nationally recognized benchmark can influence where beneficiaries choose care: "A five-star rating signals quality, builds confidence, and can help reattract patients to military hospitals when they have options in civilian networks."
Enterprise services optimization “uses what works and spreading it across the whole system,” Atterbury said. “The goal is to take strong steps — such as good discharge checklists and follow-up calls — and use them everywhere. This creates a standardized playbook for excellence, optimizing performance, reducing unwanted variation, and elevating the quality of care across the entire enterprise.”

The award gives DHA the opportunity to share best practices across the MHS, using patient feedback to refine discharge planning, medication counseling, and follow-up coordination — equipping warfighters to stay healthy while continuing recovery at home. This phase of the patient care journey can be vital to stay ready, said Atterbury. “A stable, and well-supported family at home enables a focused, mission-ready force in the field.”

Ultimately, the high marks received from CMS demonstrate DHA’s commitment to mission readiness, said Cordts.

“Excelling at care transitions is a strategic linchpin for the DHA,” he said. “It simultaneously enhances warfighter readiness by ensuring family well-being, attracts patients back to the direct care system, and provides a blueprint for system-wide improvement that is central to enterprise optimization.”