Complications & Deaths Measures
20
CMS-tracked
California · Critical Access
Kern Valley Healthcare District
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Kern Valley Healthcare District ranks #1757 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1).
- 3★
- CMS overall rating
- 27th pct.
- national percentile
- #1757 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.
6412 Laurel Ave, Lake Isabella, CA 93240 · Kern County · (760) 379-2681
The verdict
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Kern Valley Healthcare District ranks #1757 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That corpus rank reflects a below-median CMS star rating nationally.
- 27th pct.
- CMS star rating vs 3,182 rated US hospitals
- #1757 of 3182
- rated-hospital corpus placement
- 0
- measures better than national of 6 compared
- Yes
- emergency department on site
Since the last CMS release
CMS published no overall star rating for this hospital in its May 2026 release; it is rated 3 of 5 as of August 2026.
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 Kern Valley Healthcare District sits among rated US hospitals
3 Top 73% higher than 27% 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
Kern Valley Healthcare District vs. California and the nation
- Kern Valley Healthca…
Kern Valley Healthcare District
3 stars
- California avg
California state average
3.1 stars
- US avg
National average
3.2 stars
What this shows At 3 stars, Kern Valley Healthcare District rates below the California average of 3.1 and below the national average of 3.2.
Type
Critical Access Hospitals
Ownership
Government - Hospital District or Authority
Emergency Services
Yes
Birthing Friendly
N/A
Patient Experience
17
HCAHPS domains
Infection Types
6
CDC NHSN
CMS Overall Star Rating 60.0%
3 of 5 stars
Quality profile vs. the national benchmark
Mortality 3 measures
Safety of care 0 measures
Readmission 3 measures
Better than national Same as national Worse than national
Quality Measures
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate | N/A | Not Available |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for COPD patients | 7.2 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Death rate for heart failure patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Death rate for pneumonia patients | 15.6 | Same as National |
| Death rate for stroke patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality Rate | 3.7 | Same as National |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate | N/A | Not Available |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate | N/A | Not Available |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate | N/A | Not Available |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate | N/A | Not Available |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate | N/A | Not Available |
Patient Experience (HCAHPS)
| Survey Question | Star Rating |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Cleanliness - star rating | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - linear mean score | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - star rating | N/A |
| Discharge information - linear mean score | N/A |
| Discharge information - star rating | N/A |
| Doctor communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Doctor communication - star rating | N/A |
| Nurse communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Nurse communication - star rating | N/A |
| Overall hospital rating - linear mean score | N/A |
| Overall hospital rating - star rating | N/A |
| Quietness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Quietness - star rating | N/A |
| Recommend hospital - linear mean score | N/A |
| Recommend hospital - star rating | N/A |
| Summary star rating | N/A |
Safety & Infections
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) | N/A | Not Available |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) | N/A | Not Available |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) | N/A | Not Available |
| MRSA Bacteremia | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Colon Surgery | N/A | Not Available |
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 | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patients | 5.9 | Average Days per 100 Discharges |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) | 14.8 | Same as National |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 16.3 | Same as National |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for CABG | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients | 18.3 | Same as National |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) | N/A | Not Available |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery | N/A | Not Available |
Medicare Spending
| Measure | Score |
|---|---|
| Medicare hospital spending per patient (Medicare Spending per Beneficiary) | N/A |
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 CMS profiles
Two Hospital Compare peer sets for Kern Valley Healthcare District, both outside California so the neighborhoods are not the same-state list below.
Similar CMS star rating
Nearest overall stars outside CA (3/5 here).
Similar mortality outcomes
Nearest mortality measures rated better than national, outside CA (0 better here).
Nearby Hospitals in California
Other Medicare-certified hospitals in California.
One of 377 Medicare-certified hospitals in California, 6 are shown here.
60th Medical Group (Travis AFB)
Travis AFB, CA
No rating Acute Care - Department of Defense
Adventist Health and Rideout
Marysville, CA
2/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Adventist Health Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA
2/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Adventist Health Clearlake
Clearlake, CA
2/5
Critical Access Hospitals
Adventist Health Delano
Delano, CA
2/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Adventist Health Hanford
Hanford, CA
3/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Compare Kern Valley Healthcare District vs 60th Medical Group (Travis AFB) →
Hospital Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Kern Valley Healthcare District compare to other hospitals on CMS star rating?
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking, Kern Valley Healthcare District ranks #1757 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 Kern Valley Healthcare District?
Kern Valley Healthcare District has an overall CMS star rating of 3 out of 5, below the 3.2-star national average.
How does Kern Valley Healthcare District perform on quality measures?
0 of 6 compared mortality, safety, and readmission measures rate better than the national average at Kern Valley Healthcare District; 0 rate worse.
What do patients say about Kern Valley Healthcare District?
Kern Valley Healthcare District reports 17 HCAHPS patient-experience domain scores.
What are the infection rates at Kern Valley Healthcare District?
Kern Valley Healthcare District tracks 6 healthcare-associated infection types (CDC NHSN). 0 are better than the national benchmark, 0 are worse, and 0 are at the national average.
Does Kern Valley Healthcare District have emergency services?
Yes, Kern Valley Healthcare District provides emergency services.
What type of hospital is Kern Valley Healthcare District?
Kern Valley Healthcare District is a Critical Access Hospitals facility with Government - Hospital District or Authority ownership, located in Lake Isabella, CA.
How much does Medicare spend at Kern Valley Healthcare District?
1 Medicare spending category is on file for Kern Valley Healthcare District, per episode vs. the national median.
Does Kern Valley Healthcare District offer maternal health services?
Yes, Kern Valley Healthcare District reports 4 maternal health measures.
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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