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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.

CMS star-rating mix in Kentucky

How 56 rated Kentucky hospitals break down across the 1–5 star scale

hospitals

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

Source CMS Hospital Compare As of 2026-05-15

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 102 of 102 hospitals on this page (page 3 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.

102
Hospitals
2.7
Avg Rating
2
Five-Star
93
With ER

Top-Rated in Kentucky

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

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

Compare Baptist Health Paducah vs Louisville VA Medical Center →

All Hospitals

Showing 101–102 of 102 hospitals

Hospital Rating
Western State Hospital

Hopkinsville

 N/A
Whitesburg Arh Hospital

Whitesburg

 3

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: . Learn more

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