The Scrub Blog
Insights, tips, and stories for patients and healthcare workers alike.
CMS Hospital Star Ratings Explained: What 1–5 Stars Actually Mean for Patients (2026)
Introduction If you’ve ever searched for a hospital on Medicare’s Care Compare website, you’ve seen them — those little gold stars next to each hospital’s name. One star, three stars, five stars. They look simple enough. The hospital with more...
How to Choose a Hospital: A Patient’s Complete Guide (2026)
Introduction Most of us spend more time researching a new phone than we do choosing where we’ll have surgery — and that’s...
How to Stay Regional as a Traveling Healthcare Worker — A Guide From Someone Who Actually Did It
Staying regional as a traveling healthcare worker is not always easy — but it is absolutely not impossible. In this article you’ll...
Does Healthcare Seem Broken? The Inside Look (Part 2)
In Part 1, we talked about what it feels like to be a patient in the American healthcare system—the waiting, the billing...
Does Healthcare Seem Broken? A Patient’s Perspective (Part 1)
If you’ve been in the US long enough, you know that there are a few things we do really well. BBQ, muscle...
Why Negative Reviews Don’t Always Tell the Full Story
If you’ve ever scrolled through reviews, you know the feeling. A wall of one-star reviews can make your stomach drop after pulling...
How to Read Hospital Reviews Like a Pro
When you or a loved one needs hospital care, reviews can feel like a lifeline. They promise insider knowledge about wait times,...
How to Choose a Travel Healthcare Staffing Agency? 7 Things to Look for Before You Sign
Next to choosing the right partner, your child’s name or whether to use mayo or butter on a grilled cheese, a travel...