Baptist Health Paducah receives highest rating of five stars from CMS for the second consecutive year

PADUCAH, KY (Aug. 18, 2025) – For the second year in a row, Baptist Health Paducah has earned a five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  Five stars is the highest rating possible from CMS.

This year, approximately 10% of the country’s 4,609 eligible hospitals received this rating, which is 91 fewer than in 2024. Baptist Health Paducah is one of two five-star hospitals in Kentucky and the only one in western Kentucky to receive this distinguished rating.

“We’re incredibly excited to have received this prestigious five-star rating for the second year in a row,” said Kenny Boyd, President, Baptist Health Paducah. “Earning this distinction two years running reflects Baptist Health Paducah’s unwavering commitment to patient safety and adherence to evidence-based standards of care. Every day, the incredible team at Baptist Health Paducah keeps patient safety at the forefront while providing high quality and compassionate care to our family, friends and community.”

The CMS 5-Star rating is based on how well a hospital performs across different areas of quality and is a reliable source for evaluating an organizations commitment to high-quality patient care and safety.  The overall rating, between 1 and 5 stars, summarizes a variety of measures across five areas of quality in a single star rating for each hospital.  The categories include:

• Safety of care – Examine potentially preventable injury and complications due to care provided in the hospital.
• Mortality – Examine death rates in the 30 days following a hospitalization.
• Patient experience – Based on results from the HCAHPS Survey.
• Readmission rates – Examine returns to the hospital following a hospitalization.
• Timely and effective care – Examine or how often or quickly care is provided.

Care Compare, previously called Hospital Compare, is a public-facing website run by CMS, that allows individuals the opportunity to make informed decisions about where they want to get healthcare based on cost, quality of care, volume of services and other data.

“Not all healthcare providers perform at the same standard so it’s important for patients to do their homework, and having access to quality data and ratings for hospitals and providers allows them to do that,” said Boyd. “Achieving this distinction two years in a row shows that our dedication to excellence is not just a moment in time. It’s an incredible testament to the safe, quality care we provide our patients every single day.”

Find out more about Baptist Health Paducah's ratings and how other hospitals' CMS ratings compare at medicare.gov.