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 100 of 102 hospitals on this page (page 2 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 51–100 of 102 hospitals

Hospital	City	Type	Rating	ER
Meadowview Regional Medical Center Maysville	Maysville	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Mercy Health - Lourdes Hospital Paducah	Paducah	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Methodist Hospital Union County Morganfield	Morganfield	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Middlesboro Arh Hospital Middlesboro	Middlesboro	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Monroe County Medical Center Tompkinsville	Tompkinsville	Acute Care Hospitals	1	Yes
Morgan County Arh Hospital West Liberty	West Liberty	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Murray-Calloway County Hospital Murray	Murray	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Norton Hospitals, Inc Louisville	Louisville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Ohio County Hospital Hartford	Hartford	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital Greenville	Greenville	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital Owensboro	Owensboro	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center Leitchfield	Leitchfield	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Paintsville Arh Hospital Paintsville	Paintsville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Pikeville Medical Center Pikeville	Pikeville	Acute Care Hospitals	1	Yes
Pineville Community Health Center, Inc Pineville	Pineville	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Rivendell Behavioral Health Services Bowling Green	Bowling Green	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Rockcastle County Hospital, Inc. Mount Vernon	Mount Vernon	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Russell County Hospital Russell Springs	Russell Springs	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Saint Joseph East Lexington	Lexington	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington	Lexington	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Saint Joseph London London	London	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Mount Sterling	Mount Sterling	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Spring View Hospital Lebanon	Lebanon	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
St Claire Regional Medical Center Morehead	Morehead	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
St Elizabeth Edgewood Edgewood	Edgewood	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
St Elizabeth Florence Florence	Florence	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
St Elizabeth Ft Thomas Fort Thomas	Fort Thomas	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
St Elizabeth Grant Williamstown	Williamstown	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Sun Behavioral Health Erlanger	Erlanger	Psychiatric	N/A	No
T J Samson Community Hospital Glasgow	Glasgow	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
Taylor Regional Hospital Campbellsville	Campbellsville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
The Brook Hospital - Dupont Louisville	Louisville	Psychiatric	N/A	No
The Brook Hospital - Kmi Louisville	Louisville	Psychiatric	N/A	Yes
The James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital Harrodsburg	Harrodsburg	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
The Medical Center (Bowling Green) Bowling Green	Bowling Green	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
The Medical Center at Albany Albany	Albany	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
The Medical Center at Franklin Franklin	Franklin	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
The Medical Center at Russellville Russellville	Russellville	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
The Medical Center at Scottsville Scottsville	Scottsville	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
The Ridge Behavioral Health System Lexington	Lexington	Psychiatric	N/A	No
Three Rivers Medical Center Louisa	Louisa	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Tj Health Columbia Columbia	Columbia	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Trigg County Hospital Cadiz	Cadiz	Critical Access Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Tristar Greenview Regional Hospital Bowling Green	Bowling Green	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Tug Valley Arh Regional Medical Center South Williamson	South Williamson	Acute Care Hospitals	3	Yes
University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington	Lexington	Acute Care Hospitals	4	Yes
University of Louisville Hospital Louisville	Louisville	Acute Care Hospitals	1	Yes
Uofl Health - Jewish Hospital and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville	Louisville	Acute Care Hospitals	2	Yes
Uofl Health - Shelbyville Hospital Shelbyville	Shelbyville	Acute Care Hospitals	N/A	Yes
Wayne County Hospital Monticello	Monticello	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