Complications & Deaths Measures
20
CMS-tracked
Alabama · Acute Care
Helen Keller Hospital
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Helen Keller Hospital ranks #2572 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1).
- 2★
- CMS overall rating
- 6th pct.
- national percentile
- #2572 of 3182
- Corpus placement
- 20
- Quality measures
- 6
- Infection types
Data currency: Hospital quality, safety, and patient-experience measures from the CMS Care Compare program (published quarterly), last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
1300 South Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, AL 35660 · Colbert County · (256) 386-4556
The verdict
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Helen Keller Hospital ranks #2572 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That corpus rank reflects a below-median CMS star rating nationally, with 2 quality measures beating the national benchmark (2 worse).
- 6th pct.
- CMS star rating vs 3,182 rated US hospitals
- #2572 of 3182
- rated-hospital corpus placement
- 2
- measures better than national of 19 compared
- Yes
- emergency department on site
Since the last CMS release
This hospital held its 2-star rating across the May 2026 and August 2026 CMS releases.
CMS replaces its file at each release rather than publishing a changelog, so this comparison exists only because the earlier release is kept on file. See what changed nationally.
Where Helen Keller Hospital sits among rated US hospitals
2 Top 94% higher than 6% of 3,182 rated hospitals
CMS star rating (1–5 stars), bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated hospitals. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Hospital Compare, overall hospital rating · 2026-08-14
Helen Keller Hospital vs. Alabama and the nation
- Helen Keller Hospital
Helen Keller Hospital
2 stars
- Alabama avg
Alabama state average
2.7 stars
- US avg
National average
3.2 stars
What this shows At 2 stars, Helen Keller Hospital rates below the Alabama average of 2.7 and below the national average of 3.2.
Type
Acute Care Hospitals
Ownership
Government - Hospital District or Authority
Emergency Services
Yes
Birthing Friendly
Yes
Patient Experience
17
HCAHPS domains
Infection Types
6
CDC NHSN
CMS Overall Star Rating 40.0%
2 of 5 stars
Quality profile vs. the national benchmark
Mortality 5 measures
Safety of care 7 measures
Readmission 7 measures
Better than national Same as national Worse than national
Quality Measures
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate | 0.94 | Same as National |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite | 0.93 | Same as National |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for COPD patients | 8.6 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Death rate for heart failure patients | 18.5 | Worse than National |
| Death rate for pneumonia patients | 18.7 | Same as National |
| Death rate for stroke patients | 13.3 | Same as National |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality Rate | 5.6 | Same as National |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate | 0.19 | Same as National |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate | 0.29 | Same as National |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate | 3.93 | Same as National |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate | 2.83 | Same as National |
Patient Experience (HCAHPS)
Experience profile vs. the national average
Source: CMS Hospital Compare, HCAHPS patient survey star ratings.
| Survey Question | Star Rating |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Cleanliness - star rating | 3 |
| Communication about medicines - linear mean score | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - star rating | 3 |
| Discharge information - linear mean score | N/A |
| Discharge information - star rating | 4 |
| Doctor communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Doctor communication - star rating | 3 |
| Nurse communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Nurse communication - star rating | 4 |
| Overall hospital rating - linear mean score | N/A |
| Overall hospital rating - star rating | 4 |
| Quietness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Quietness - star rating | 4 |
| Recommend hospital - linear mean score | N/A |
| Recommend hospital - star rating | 5 |
| Summary star rating | 4 |
Safety & Infections
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) | 0.264 | Same as National |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) | 0 | Same as National |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) | 0.603 | Same as National |
| MRSA Bacteremia | 0 | Same as National |
| SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Colon Surgery | 2.177 | Same as National |
Staffing & Spending
Unplanned Visits & Readmissions
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 17.8 | Same as National |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patients | -16.1 | Fewer Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patients | 19.8 | More Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) | 16 | Same as National |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 16.1 | Same as National |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement | 5.8 | Same as National |
| Rate of readmission for CABG | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients | 18.8 | Same as National |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) | 13.5 | Same as National |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery | 0.9 | Same as National |
Medicare Spending
| Measure | Score |
|---|---|
| Medicare hospital spending per patient (Medicare Spending per Beneficiary) | 1.1 |
Maternal Health
| Measure | Score |
|---|---|
| Cesarean Birth | N/A |
| Maternal Morbidity Structural Measure | N/A |
| Risk Adjusted Severe Obstetric Complications (All) | N/A |
| Risk Adjusted Severe Obstetric Complications (excluding blood-transfusion-only cases) | N/A |
Nationwide hospitals with similar ratings
Two data-derived peer sets for Helen Keller Hospital, both outside Alabama so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar CMS star rating
Nearest overall Hospital Compare stars outside AL (2/5 here).
Similar mortality outcomes
Nearest counts of mortality measures rated better than the national rate, outside AL (0 better here).
Nearby Hospitals in Alabama
Other Medicare-certified hospitals in Alabama.
One of 99 Medicare-certified hospitals in Alabama, 6 are shown here.
Andalusia Health
Andalusia, AL
2/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Athens Limestone Hospital
Athens, AL
2/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Atmore Community Hospital
Atmore, AL
3/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Baldwin Health
Foley, AL
4/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital
Vestavia, AL
3/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Baptist Medical Center East
Montgomery, AL
4/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Hospital Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Helen Keller Hospital compare to other hospitals on CMS star rating?
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking, Helen Keller Hospital ranks #2572 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That ordinal matches our top-rated hospital listing (star_rating DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
What is the CMS star rating for Helen Keller Hospital?
Helen Keller Hospital has an overall CMS star rating of 2 out of 5, below the 3.2-star national average.
How does Helen Keller Hospital perform on quality measures?
2 of 19 compared mortality, safety, and readmission measures rate better than the national average at Helen Keller Hospital; 2 rate worse.
What do patients say about Helen Keller Hospital?
Helen Keller Hospital reports 17 HCAHPS patient-experience domain scores. Star ratings range from 3 to 5 out of 5.
What are the infection rates at Helen Keller Hospital?
Helen Keller Hospital tracks 6 healthcare-associated infection types (CDC NHSN). 0 are better than the national benchmark, 0 are worse, and 5 are at the national average.
Does Helen Keller Hospital have emergency services?
Yes, Helen Keller Hospital provides emergency services.
What type of hospital is Helen Keller Hospital?
Helen Keller Hospital is a Acute Care Hospitals facility with Government - Hospital District or Authority ownership, located in Sheffield, AL. This facility has received the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation.
How much does Medicare spend at Helen Keller Hospital?
1 Medicare spending category is on file for Helen Keller Hospital, per episode vs. the national median.
Does Helen Keller Hospital offer maternal health services?
Yes, Helen Keller Hospital reports 4 maternal health measures. This facility has been designated as Birthing-Friendly by CMS.
Data Sources
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare. Last refreshed from CMS: . About PlainHospital
Read our methodology & full data source list
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