MINNEAPOLIS — The Department of Veterans Affairs released its annual ratings for VA medical centers across the country. In a press release, the department said the ratings for the end of fiscal year 2018 "evaluate and benchmark quality of care delivery" at 146 VA facilities.

According to the VA, compared with data for the same period for 2017, 66 percent of its facilities had an improvement in overall quality in the third quarter. Six VA facilities had a decline in quality and the department says improvement activities are underway at those centers.

The star rating system (1-5) used by the VA measures a facility's relative performance compared to other VA medical centers. Each center is also assessed for quality based on improvement compared to its own performance from the past year.