State hospital quality · CMS Hospital Compare

Hospitals in Kentucky

Kentucky has 102 Medicare-certified hospitals averaging 2.7 of 5 CMS stars — below the 3.1-star national average — with 2 earning the full five stars.

102
Hospitals: 2.7★
Avg rating: 2
Five-star: 93
With ER

The state picture

Across 102 Medicare-certified hospitals, Kentucky averages 2.7 of 5 CMS stars — below the 3.1-star national average — and 2 facilities earn the top five-star rating.

2.7 / 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; 56 of 102 Kentucky hospitals had enough reporting volume to receive one. Not medical advice.

5★

2
4★

13
3★

13
2★

23
1★

5

What this shows 2 Kentucky hospitals reach five stars; the state's 2.7-star average sits below the 3.1-star national mark.

What the Data Shows About Hospitals in Kentucky

Kentucky 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 2.7 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 Kentucky. The single highest-rated facility in the state registry is Baptist Health Paducah in Paducah, 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 2026-05-15, and nothing on this page is medical advice — consult a qualified clinician before making care decisions.

102

Hospitals

2.7

Avg Rating

Five-Star

With ER

Top-Rated in Kentucky

Highest CMS star ratings among Medicare-certified hospitals in Kentucky.

🥇1 Baptist Health Paducah Paducah, KY · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★★
🥈2 Louisville VA Medical Center Louisville, KY · Acute Care - Veterans Administration ★★★★★
🥉3 Baptist Health Corbin Corbin, KY · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★
4 Baptist Health Lagrange La Grange, KY · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★
5 Baptist Health Lexington Lexington, KY · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★
6 Bourbon Community Hospital Paris, KY · Acute Care Hospitals ★★★★

Compare Baptist Health Paducah vs Louisville VA Medical Center →

All Hospitals

Showing 1–50 of 102 hospitals

Hospital	City	Type	Rating	ER
Adventhealthmanchester Manchester	Manchester	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Arh Our Lady of the Way Martin	Martin	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Baptist Health Corbin Corbin	Corbin	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Madisonville	Madisonville	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Baptist Health Hardin Elizabethtown	Elizabethtown	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Baptist Health Lagrange La Grange	La Grange	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Baptist Health Lexington Lexington	Lexington	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Baptist Health Louisville Louisville	Louisville	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Baptist Health Paducah Paducah	Paducah	Acute Care Hospitals	5	Yes
Baptist Health Richmond Richmond	Richmond	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Blanchfield Ach (Ft Campbell) Fort Campbell	Fort Campbell	Acute Care - Department of Defense	N/A	Yes
Bluegrass Community Hospital Versailles	Versailles	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Bourbon Community Hospital Paris	Paris	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Breckinridge Memorial Hospital Hardinsburg	Hardinsburg	Critical Access Hospitals	2	Yes
Caldwell Medical Center Princeton	Princeton	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Carroll County Memorial Hospital Carrollton	Carrollton	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Casey County Hospital Liberty	Liberty	Critical Access Hospitals	2	Yes
Caverna Memorial Hospital Horse Cave	Horse Cave	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Central State Hospital Louisville	Louisville	Psychiatric	N/A	No
CHI Saint Joseph Berea Nf Berea	Berea	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
CHI Saint Joseph Flaget Memorial Hospital Bardstown	Bardstown	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Clark Regional Medical Center Winchester	Winchester	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Crittenden Community Hospital Marion	Marion	Rural Emergency Hospital	N/A	Yes
Cumberland County Hospital Burkesville	Burkesville	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Cumberland Hall Hospital Hopkinsville	Hopkinsville	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Deaconess Henderson Hospital Henderson	Henderson	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Eastern State Hospital Lexington	Lexington	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital Stanford	Stanford	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center Danville	Danville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Frankfort Regional Medical Center Frankfort	Frankfort	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Georgetown Community Hospital Georgetown	Georgetown	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Harlan Arh Hospital Harlan	Harlan	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Harrison Memorial Hospital Cynthiana	Cynthiana	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Hazard Arh Regional Medical Center Hazard	Hazard	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Highlands Arh Regional Medical Center Prestonsburg	Prestonsburg	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Jackson Purchase Medical Center Mayfield	Mayfield	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Jane Todd Crawford Hospital Greensburg	Greensburg	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Jennie Stuart Medical Center Hopkinsville	Hopkinsville	Acute Care Hospitals	1	Yes
Kentucky River Medical Center Jackson	Jackson	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
King's Daughters' Medical Center Ashland	Ashland	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Knox County Hospital Barbourville	Barbourville	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Somerset	Somerset	Acute Care Hospitals	1	Yes
Lexington VA Medical Center Lexington	Lexington	Acute Care - Veterans Administration	4	Yes
Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System Radcliff	Radcliff	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Livingston Hospital and Healthcare Services, Inc Salem	Salem	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Louisville VA Medical Center Louisville	Louisville	Acute Care - Veterans Administration	5	Yes
Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital Irvine	Irvine	Critical Access Hospitals	4	Yes
Marshall County Hospital Benton	Benton	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Mary Breckinridge Arh Hospital Hyden	Hyden	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
McDowell Arh Hospital Mc Dowell	Mc Dowell	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes

Hospital Quality in Kentucky

Kentucky 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 Kentucky hospitals is 2.7. 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

What is the best hospital in Kentucky? ▼

The highest-rated hospital in Kentucky is Baptist Health Paducah in Paducah with a CMS star rating of 5/5. There are 2 five-star hospitals in the state out of 102 Medicare-certified facilities.

How are hospitals rated? ▼

CMS rates hospitals on a 1-to-5 star scale based on quality measures including mortality, safety, patient experience, readmission rates, and timely care. In Kentucky, the average star rating is 2.7 across rated hospitals.

How many hospitals are in Kentucky? ▼

Kentucky has 102 Medicare-certified hospitals, of which 93 have emergency departments. 2 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS rating.

Data from CMS Hospital Compare; patient-experience scores from the HCAHPS survey. Last refreshed: 2026-05-15. Learn more

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Reviewed byPlainhospital Editorial, Hospital Quality Editorial Team