WASHINGTON, DC  (WAVY) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is using a new system to grade hospitals.

The department phased out the star-rating system in December that graded hospitals with one to five stars. VA officials say the new system better compares VA hospitals to civilian ones around it.

Veterans Affairs officials say the old system only compared VA hospitals to one another, and was not working. They also say it may have been doing a disservice to veterans in helping them make the best choice for their care.

“In the Atlanta hospital, that one-star hospital has a better survival rate than all the hospitals around it,” said Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration.

The VA says the new rating system is on the homepage of each VA hospital. It shows wait times, quality of medical care, and patient experience ratings. 

The Veterans Affairs department is still releasing the Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning or SAIL. It monitors the internal management of hospital performance from year to year.

Click here to see details from the latest SAIL for VA hospitals in Hampton Roads.