Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre was among four Catholic Health hospitals to receive a five-star overall quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the health system announced Wednesday.
The CMS five-star rating is the highest awarded by the federal agency. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ratings placed Mercy Hospital, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, St. Charles Hospital and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital all at five stars in its latest overall hospital quality report.
“We are very cohesive, and the amount of pride and familiness that you feel when you're in this building, and even outside, it's amazing,” Joseph Manopella, president of Mercy Hospital, told the Herald. “It's something to be so proud of.”
The CMS five-star rating is the highest awarded by the federal agency. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ratings placed Mercy Hospital, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, St. Charles Hospital and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital all at five stars in its latest overall hospital quality report.
The designation marks Mercy Hospital’s first five-star CMS rating, according to Catholic Health. St. Charles Hospital and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital also earned the distinction for the first time, while St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center received a five-star rating for the seventh consecutive year.
CMS star ratings are designed to help patients and families compare hospitals using standardized quality measures, including clinical quality, patient experience, readmissions and other performance indicators.
“Quality and safety are central to everything we do,” Patrick O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Catholic Health, said. “Four of our hospitals achieving CMS’s highest rating—with three earning it for the first time—highlights the consistency of care across our system. We remain committed to delivering the best possible outcomes and experience for every patient who walks through our doors.”
Hospital leaders said the recognition reflects years of investment in staffing, infrastructure, patient safety and workplace culture.
“When you become more efficient and you move people through the hospital quicker, there's less opportunity for them to come to harm,” Gail Mazza, vice president of quality, said to the Herald.
Mercy officials said that over the past three years, the hospital added nearly 80 nursing positions and expanded roles focused on quality metrics, while renovating departments and investing in new technology and patient-care programs.
“When you become reliable and we reduce harm, we reduce falls, we have the right skill mix of staff to patients, we do that the same day in and day out, you get the recognition,” Christopher Ruppert, chief nursing officer, said to the Herald.
Mercy and the three other Catholic Health hospitals that earned five-star CMS ratings also received “A” Hospital Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group in its Spring 2026 ratings.
“It really sends a message to the public as to what your harm level is,” Nirvani Goolsarran, chief quality officer, said to the Herald. “It's never zero, but A is as close to a zero as you would get, and that's why we're so excited.”
The Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals letter grades from A through F based on patient safety and performance measures. According to Mercy officials, only about 38 percent of hospitals nationwide receive an “A” grade.
“This designation is driven by measurable results,” Jason Golbin, executive vice president and chief medical officer, said. “From standardizing processes to reducing readmissions to improving patient experience scores, our teams are focused on delivering care that is both effective and reliable, always looking for areas to improve and push care delivery forward.”
Hospital leaders said Mercy plans to continue building on the recognition through additional investments, including a second phase of emergency department expansion, another cardiac catheterization lab and further growth of physician practices and women’s health services.
