Documentation

How HealthSignal works — data sources, metric definitions, and workflow guide.

Data Sources

HealthSignal's provider database is built on public CMS datasets, refreshed annually. We cover 17,744 Medicare-certified providers across all 50 states — including acute care hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Acute Care Hospitals (5,418)
DatasetSourceCoverageUsed for
Hospital General InformationCMS data.cms.gov5,418 hospitalsName, address, type, ownership, beds, star rating
Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP)CMS HRRP~3,100 hospitalsReadmission penalty flag — a key buying signal
Price Transparency EnforcementCMS Price TransparencyNationwideIdentifies hospitals with compliance actions
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)CMS Hospital Compare~3,200 hospitalsHAI gap vs benchmark — quality improvement signal
Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB)CMS Value-Based Programs~3,000 hospitalsCost efficiency pressure indicator
Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP)CMS VBP~2,900 hospitalsPerformance incentive score
Promoting Interoperability (EHR)CMS Promoting Interoperability~2,800 hospitalsConfirms EHR adoption — digital-ready infrastructure
HCAHPS Star RatingsCMS Hospital Compare~3,600 hospitalsPatient experience score (1–5 stars)
Medicare Claims — Volume & PaymentsCMS Provider Utilization & Payment~4,200 hospitalsTotal discharges, beneficiaries, Medicare payment amount
Community Health & Critical Access (12,326)
Facility TypeSourceCoverageNotes
Critical Access Hospital (CAH)CMS Provider of Services File1,376 facilitiesSmall rural acute care hospitals (≤25 beds). Have bed counts and ownership data. Not subject to HRRP, HVBP, or MSPB programs.
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)CMS Provider of Services File10,950 facilitiesCommunity health centers serving underserved populations. Non-profit (89%) or proprietary. No bed count. Not in CMS signal programs.
ℹ️ Note: CMS signal flags (Rdm, PxT, HAI, MSPB, HVBP, EHR) apply only to acute care hospitals. CAH and FQHC providers are not enrolled in these CMS programs — their signal column shows "N/A" in the provider table. Scoring for these facility types is based on ownership, geography, and facility tenure.

Fit Score — 6-Dimension Formula

Each hospital receives a Fit Score (0–100) computed from six weighted dimensions. Higher scores indicate stronger ICP alignment — they surface in Tier 1 and are prioritized at the top of the provider table.

DimensionWeightWhat it measures
Geographic matchUp to 20 ptsState and region match to your ICP target geography
Facility sizeUp to 30 ptsBed count and patient volume — scales from community to academic medical centers
Ownership alignmentUp to 20 ptsOwnership type fit (nonprofit, for-profit, government) vs your ICP
CMS signal pressureUp to 15 ptsNumber of active buying signals (readmission penalties, HAI gaps, MSPB pressure, HVBP underperformance)
Quality ratingUp to 10 ptsOverall CMS star rating (1–5). Low ratings can indicate both challenge and openness to new solutions
Financial scaleUp to 5 ptsMedicare payment amount as a proxy for budget capacity
Score to Tier mapping
Tier 180–100
Tier 260–79
Tier 30–59

CMS Signal Flags

The CMS Signals column in the provider table shows abbreviated chip labels. Each chip indicates an active buying signal derived from public CMS data.

ChipFull nameSource programWhy it matters
RdmReadmission PenaltyCMS HRRPHospital is penalized for excess readmissions — strong motivation to adopt improvement solutions
PxTPrice Transparency ActionCMS Price TransparencyReceived CMS enforcement action — compliance pressure creates urgency
HAIHealthcare-Associated Infection GapCMS HAI ReportingInfection rates above benchmark — quality improvement spend is likely
MSPBMedicare Spending Per Beneficiary (above national)CMS MSPBCost per episode above national average — cost efficiency tools are a priority
HVBPHospital Value-Based Purchasing (below median)CMS VBPBelow-median VBP score — performance improvement programs are attractive
EHREHR Adopted (Promoting Interoperability)CMS Promoting InteroperabilityConfirmed EHR adoption — digital-ready, integration-friendly environment
VolHigh Patient VolumeCMS Claims DataTop-quartile discharge volume — high-impact deployment opportunity
💡 Tip: Use the signal filter pills above the provider table to quickly surface hospitals with specific buying pressure. Combining Rdm + HVBP typically identifies the highest urgency accounts.

Workflow Guide

HealthSignal is built around a four-step workflow. Each step builds on the previous one.

01
Find your audience — ICP Wizard

Enter your company description, product summary, and target geography. The ICP wizard generates a structured Ideal Customer Profile with recommended hospital types, ownership preferences, bed-size targets, and buying personas (CHRO, CNO, VP Operations, etc.).

  • Be specific in your product summary — the more detail you provide, the tighter the ICP match.
  • You can return and adjust your ICP at any time; the provider scores will update automatically.
02
Find Providers — Scored hospital table

5,418 CMS-certified hospitals are scored against your ICP in real time. Use filters to narrow by state, hospital type, ownership, bed size, urban/rural setting, and active CMS signal flags.

  • Sort by Fit Score to surface your strongest accounts first.
  • Use the signal filter pills (Rdm, HVBP) to find hospitals with active buying pressure.
  • Star rating (★) reflects HCAHPS patient satisfaction — lower ratings may indicate operational stress and higher openness to new solutions.
03
Find Contacts — Prospect enrichment

Select hospitals from the provider table to pull enriched buyer contacts — matching decision-maker personas (CHRO, CNO, VP Operations) from your ICP. Each contact shows role, seniority, and why they are recommended for outreach.

  • Contacts are ranked by persona match to your ICP — prioritize the top recommended persona.
  • You can paste your own contact CSV if you already have a list.
04
Rapid Outreach — AI-generated email sequences

Generate a 3-step personalized outreach sequence for any contact. Emails are drafted using your ICP product summary, the hospital's CMS signal flags, and the contact's role — no generic templates.

  • The subject line for step 1 is derived from your product summary for relevance.
  • Each step has a different angle: intro → case study → direct ask.
  • Use the send button to deliver directly via Resend, or copy to your CRM.

FAQ

How often is the CMS data updated?
The underlying CMS datasets are published annually (typically Q4 for the prior fiscal year). HealthSignal refreshes its database whenever CMS releases a new cohort. The current dataset is as of 2024 CMS release.
Why does a hospital show no CMS signal chips?
A hospital may not appear in a specific CMS program's reporting cohort — for example, critical access hospitals are often excluded from HRRP. No chips simply means no reportable signal from that program, not necessarily a disqualifier.
What does the Fit Score specifically measure for my company?
The Fit Score is dynamically computed against your ICP definition from step 1. If you haven't completed the ICP wizard yet, hospitals are scored using a baseline formula (size + financial scale + CMS signals). Complete the ICP wizard to get personalized scores.
Can I export the provider list?
CSV export is available in the provider table via the Export button in the top-right corner.
Are the contacts verified?
Contacts marked with a verified badge have been cross-referenced against LinkedIn and public hospital directories. Unverified contacts are surfaced from persona matching and may require validation before outreach.