State hospital quality · CMS Hospital Compare
Hospitals in Alabama
Alabama has 102 Medicare-certified hospitals averaging 2.6 of 5 CMS stars - below the 3.1-star national average, with 2 earning the full five stars.
- 102
- Hospitals
- 2.6★
- Avg rating
- 2
- Five-star
- 93
- With ER
The state picture
Across 102 Medicare-certified hospitals, Alabama averages 2.6 of 5 CMS stars - below the 3.1-star national average, and 2 facilities earn the top five-star rating.
- 2.6 / 5
- state average (below 3.1 national)
- 2
- five-star hospitals
- 93
- with an emergency department
- 102
- Medicare-certified hospitals
CMS star ratings are composite quality scores; 51 of 102 Alabama hospitals had enough reporting volume to receive one. Not medical advice.
CMS star-rating mix in Alabama
How 51 rated Alabama hospitals break down across the 1–5 star scale
- 5★ 2
5-star hospitals
2 hospitals
- 4★ 5
4-star hospitals
5 hospitals
- 3★
3-star hospitals
18 hospitals
- 2★
2-star hospitals
21 hospitals
- 1★ 5
1-star hospitals
5 hospitals
What this shows 2 Alabama hospitals reach five stars; the state's 2.6-star average sits below the 3.1-star national mark.
What the Data Shows About Hospitals in Alabama
Alabama has 102 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare program. Of these, 93 facilities operate an emergency department, an important signal for communities that rely on nearby acute-care access. The statewide average CMS overall star rating is 2.6 out of 5, calculated across hospitals with enough reporting volume to generate a composite rating.
At the top of the quality distribution, 2 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS overall rating in Alabama. The single highest-rated facility in the state registry is Birmingham VA Medical Center in Birmingham, currently listed at 5/5 stars. Star ratings are composite scores built from mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience (HCAHPS), and timely & effective care domains, so a single number conceals meaningful per-domain variation that matters for specific procedures.
Showing 50 of 102 hospitals on this page (page 1 of 3). Hospital quality varies materially within a state, urban academic centers, rural critical-access hospitals, and specialty facilities report against different baselines, so comparing individual facility profiles before choosing planned care is more useful than relying on the statewide average alone. All figures reflect the CMS Hospital Compare release from , and nothing on this page is medical advice, consult a qualified clinician before making care decisions.
Top-Rated in Alabama
Highest CMS star ratings among Medicare-certified hospitals in Alabama.
- 🥇1 Birmingham VA Medical Center ★★★★★
- 🥈2 VA Central Alabama Healthcare System - Montgomery ★★★★★
- 🥉3 Baldwin Health ★★★★
- 4 Baptist Medical Center East ★★★★
- 5 Lakeland Community Hospital ★★★★
- 6 Northwest Medical Center ★★★★
Compare Birmingham VA Medical Center vs VA Central Alabama Healthcare System - Montgomery →
All Hospitals
Showing 1–50 of 102 hospitals
Hospital Quality in Alabama
Alabama has 102 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Of these, 2 have earned the highest 5-star overall quality rating, reflecting strong performance across mortality, safety of care, readmission rates, patient experience, and timely and effective care measures.
The average CMS star rating across Alabama hospitals is 2.6. 93 facilities have emergency departments, an important factor for communities that depend on nearby acute care. Hospital quality can vary significantly within a state, so comparing individual facility ratings before choosing care is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data from CMS Hospital Compare; patient-experience scores from the HCAHPS survey. Last refreshed: . About PlainHospital and our data sources
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.