Hospital Teams Deliver Significant Quality Gains
May 13, 2026
Sutter Health
14 Sutter hospitals earn high CMS Star Rankings

High-quality care doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through steady progress, careful measurement and a constant focus on safety. At Sutter Health, teams are aligning best practices, supporting clinical leaders and using smarter technology to deliver more consistent care and better, more reliable outcomes.

That progress and commitment are showing up in measurable ways. This year, six Sutter hospitals earned the highest possible five-star ratings for overall hospital quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, marking a 50% improvement from last year. An additional eight Sutter hospitals received four-star ratings.

“Five-star quality and constant improvement take teamwork and focus,” said Krista Lopes, vice president of quality and patient safety at Sutter Health. “From the bedside to behind the scenes, our teams are reducing variation and strengthening safety every day. This year’s results show what it looks like to raise the bar. When patients walk through the doors at Sutter care sites, they can expect safer care, improved outcomes and a better overall experience.”

Five-Star Hospitals

Nationwide, only 10% of hospitals achieve a five-star rating by CMS. Sutter hospitals that achieved the rating this year include:

  • Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus (two years in a row)
  • Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
  • Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (eight years in a row)
  • Sutter’s Novato Community Hospital (six years in a row)
  • Sutter Roseville Medical Center
  • Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital

Four-Star Hospitals

  • Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Alta Bates Campus
  • Sutter Amador Hospital
  • Sutter’s CPMC – Mission Bernal Campus
  • Sutter Davis Hospital
  • Sutter’s Eden Medical Center
  • Sutter Lakeside Hospital
  • Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
  • Sutter Tracy Community Hospital

CMS ratings are based on publicly reported data across key quality areas: readmission rates, timeliness and effectiveness of care, mortality, hospital-acquired infections and patient feedback. To learn more about the CMS methodology, visit Care Compare.

How Sutter Brings Quality and Innovation to Life

Systemwide efforts to improve quality and reduce variation are supported by targeted innovation designed to strengthen safety, reliability and the patient experience.

  • Supporting clinicians with smarter tools: Clinicians across the system are using ambient AI to reduce documentation burden and spend more time with patients. A Sutter Health study published in JAMA Network Open found the tools significantly reduced time spent on clinical notes while improving clinician well-being — an important driver of safer, more engaged care.
  • Extending care beyond the hospital: Through Sutter Sync, patients managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes can securely transmit health data from home directly into the electronic health records using first-of-their-kind, EHR-linked devices. Since launching in spring 2025, enrollment has grown to more than 5,000 patients, with 80% achieving blood pressure control within six months.
  • Standardizing care to improve outcomes: Teams continue to focus on standardizing care practices and strengthening clinical leadership. These efforts are central to Sutter’s high-reliability approach to delivering more consistent care and better outcomes across settings.

Learn more about how Sutter Health is creating a care experience that is coordinated, compassionate and connected: Quality Infographic.

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