Austin hospitals oppress with 5 star ratings while others suffer with 1 star service.

The capitalist, white supremacist, hetero-patriarchy has once again shown its preference for a token gesture over substantive change with the release of the latest federal government hospital rankings. These rankings, determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, are an attempt to hold institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public, but in reality, they are a mere distraction from the systemic issues plaguing our healthcare system.

The so-called "star ratings" are based on death rates, patient experience, safety, readmissions, and timely and effective care. However, we must ask ourselves who these metrics truly serve. Are the experiences of marginalized communities, who often face barriers to accessing healthcare, truly reflected in these rankings? Are the root causes of health disparities being addressed, or are we simply putting a band-aid on a bullet wound?

Without further ado, here are the rankings for Austin-area hospitals, as reported on the medicare.gov website [https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?providerType=Hospital]:

Five stars (the golden veneer)

• Ascension Seton Northwest Medical Center
• Ascension Seton Hays Medical Center
• Ascension Seton Williamson Medical Center
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Marble Falls
• St. David's Medical Center
• St. David's South Austin Medical Center

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'Where a woman lives matters:' [https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/07/28/how-state-ranks-womens-health-care-texas-birth-mortality-rate-6-of-live-births/11991375/] Which state did worse than Texas in woman's healthcare?

Four stars (the shiny facade)

• Ascension Seton Medical Center
• St. David's North Austin Medical Center
• St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
• Cedar Park Regional Medical Center

Three stars (the tarnished truth)

• Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Round Rock

Two stars (the bare minimum)

• Christus Santa Rosa Hospital San Marcos

One star (the failing system)

• No local hospitals

It is important to note that several hospitals lacked sufficient information to be given a star ranking. These include Baylor Scott & White hospitals in Pflugerville, Lakeway, Buda, and Austin, as well as several Ascension Seton hospitals.

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Are these hospitals serving the people, or are they just chasing rankings? See the U.S. News & World Report rankings for yourself: [https://www.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/tx/austin