1. What is the purpose of USisUS.org?

The purpose of USisUS is to improve the quality of government-provided health care and to provide health managers and officials quality information from Americans like you.

2. What does USisUS stand for?

USisUS stands for "The United States is US!" This name emphasizes the importance of community as well as individual voices in the improvement of government-funded programs.

3. Who is the site intended to help?

USisUS.org strives to provide a voice to communities that may not otherwise have a voice in the health care and public services conversation, those who are in the most need of improved services. If you use government-funded services such as health care, please share your stories and help others make decisions about service locations.

4. Why should I register? What are the benefits of registering?

5. Who can I rate on the site? What is the difference between programs and providers?

The term "programs" refers to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid while the term "providers" refers to providers of health care services such as Hospitals, VA Centers, and Community Health Centers.

6. How do I write a review?

We’ve tried to make the site as easy to use as possible. Start by clicking the “Start Here” button on the home page. Then choose the kind of organization you want to review and press GO. You’ll see a list of organizations. Click on the one you want to review or zoom in on the Google map. You can also click the “Search” button on the top menu of the home page and search by healthcare organization or program.

7. How does the star-rating system work?

All review questions are based on a 5-star rating system, with 5 being the best. We use an algorithm that compares the total number of stars to the total number of reviews. To equalize the fact that city-based providers will receive more reviews than rural providers, the algorithm also takes into account the percentage of reviews with 5-stars to the total number of reviews. For example, a rural health care provider that receives 10 reviews of which 9 are 5-stars will compare favorably with a city-based health care provider receiving 100 reviews where just half are 5-stars.

8. Does the site screen the narrative reviews? How does the site control user comments?

Comments should be objective, specific, and constructive. Every new rating is reviewed by staff, and ratings can also be flagged by viewers who find it offensive. We count on you to quickly flag inappropriate content. Flagged posts are immediately removed from the site and sent to the staff. Our staff decides whether a questionable post should be deleted, approved, or returned to the sender with an invitation to re-submit. See our rating rules for tips and examples.

Rating Rules

9. How does USisUS.org help people in the community?
Everyone has a story to share, particularly about health care. USisUS.org aims to provide a place for people in the community to discuss their experiences with public programs in the health care system. This way, a community has a voice with which to address providers, program managers and other officials about improving quality.

10. How can community organizations help?

Organizations can help by reaching out to those within their respective communities and letting them know that USisUS.org is a platform where they can make their voices heard. USisUS staff are also available and interested in coming to your organizational meetings to meet you and make presentations about our site.

While organizations cannot register for an account, individuals within an organization can register to write and rate reviews on the site.

11. How does the Hall of Fame work?

Along with providing constructive criticism through our members, we aim to showcase providers who go above and beyond expectations of service quality. Those searching for providers can find the most highest rated in a particular category or service. There is even a list of providers who are in the most need of improvement. Also, we provide lists of the most helpful and frequent reviewers on the website as our way of thanking them for helping make USisUS.org great.

How are Hall of Fame providers determined? By you, the USisUS.org users.

12. Why is this only in Massachusetts?

The site is continuously updated with information from members submitting reviews. However, the website only covers government programs and publicly funded health care in Massachusetts. Eventually, USisUS.org hopes to expand nationally and into other fields such as nursing homes and other care providers. We always appreciate your input, so feel free to contact us with your suggestions.

13. How do we evaluate and improve the site?

Once a year, we will have an evaluation to find any unmet needs or potential new venues for our rating system. USisUS.org cannot continue improving without help from you, our users and members. So, just keep writing and rating the reviews. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact us.

14. What is the role of Simmons College?.

A group of faculty and students at Simmons College oversee this site. Their responsibilities include: