Both hospitals’ websites highlight older results that paint a more favorable picture than the latest quality and safety reports.
JONESBORO, Ark. — St. Bernards Medical Center received one out of five overall quality stars in the latest federal ratings. NEA Baptist received three. But patients looking beyond those ratings will find reasons to ask questions to both hospitals.
At St. Bernards, the federal government flags COPD deaths as worse than the national rate. At Baptist, it flags deaths following heart bypass surgery. Neither hospital’s website gives readers the full picture found in the newer federal results, either.
The source is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS—the same agency St. Bernards cites in its own online quality report. That page still displays mostly old numbers. Baptist’s hospital page emphasizes awards, but NEA Report did not find a current outcomes table on the pages we reviewed.
The comparison below uses the August 13, 2026 release of Medicare Care Compare data. It covers the two Jonesboro hospitals. NEA Baptist appears in the federal records as Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro, Inc.
How the hospitals compare
Both hospitals earned four stars from inpatient surveys. Those scores reflect patients’ experiences and are separate from the overall quality ratings. Clinical results show actual numbers compared to the national data – no opinions.
For our table below, red means worse than the national benchmark. Green means better. Equal results are uncolored. Lower death rates are better; higher patient ratings are better. Each row tells you which direction to look.
| Measure and reporting period | St. Bernards | NEA Baptist | National benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortality | |||
| Hospital-wide mortality Lower is better 07/01/2024–06/30/2025 |
5% | 3.3% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack mortality Lower is better 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
14.4% | 11% | 11.9% |
| Bypass-surgery mortality Lower is better 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
4% | 6.4% | 2.4% |
| COPD mortality Lower is better 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
12.8% | 8.7% | 8.6% |
| Heart failure mortality Lower is better 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
12.3% | 11.8% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia mortality Lower is better 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
18.5% | 14.5% | 15.2% |
| Stroke mortality Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
13.7% | 9.9% | 11.9% |
| Readmissions and unplanned hospital visits | |||
| Days back in hospital after heart attack — compared with expected Within 30 days of discharge · per 100 discharges 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
41.7 more days than expected | 15.9 fewer days than expected | 0 — as expected |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure — compared with expected Within 30 days of discharge · per 100 discharges 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
58.5 more days than expected | 31.8 more days than expected | 0 — as expected |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia — compared with expected Within 30 days of discharge · per 100 discharges 07/01/2022–06/30/2025 |
29 more days than expected | 19.8 more days than expected | 0 — as expected |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) Lower is better · per 1,000 01/01/2022–12/31/2024 |
13.1 | 13 | 13 |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy Lower is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
10.4% | 12.4% | 10.7% |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy Lower is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
4.7% | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery Lower is better · ratio 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
0.8 | 1.1 | Not applicable |
| Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
16.6% | 14.6% | 14.4% |
| Rate of readmission for CABG Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
15.3% | 11.4% | 11% |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
21.9% | 20.4% | 20% |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
22.4% | 21.3% | 21.3% |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
Not available[1] | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate Lower is better 07/01/2023–06/30/2025 |
16.8% | 18% | 17.3% |
| Complications and patient safety | |||
| Rate of complications for hip/knee replacement patients Lower is better 04/01/2023–03/31/2025 |
Not available[1] | 6.7% | 4.1% |
| Pressure ulcer rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
8.19 | 0.15 | 0.63 |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
171.11 | 199.56[23] | 173.30 |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
0.22 | 0.21 | 0.21 |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
0.38 | 0.26[23] | 0.27 |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
2.12 | 2.20[23] | 2.34 |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
1.50 | 2.67[23] | 1.67 |
| Postoperative respiratory failure rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
8.60 | 17.40[23] | 9.42 |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
3.72 | 5.28[23] | 3.52 |
| Postoperative sepsis rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
4.89 | 5.47[23] | 5.27 |
| Postoperative wound dehiscence rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
1.61 | 1.56 | 1.77 |
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate Lower is better · per 1,000 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
0.95 | 0.82 | 1.06 |
| Serious-complications composite (PSI-90) Lower is better · index 07/01/2022–06/30/2024 |
3.16 | 1.18[23] | 1.00 |
| Infections | |||
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
0.526 | 0.606 | 1 |
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
0.490 | 0.247 | 1 |
| SSI – Colon Surgery Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
0.965 | 0.492 | 1 |
| SSI – Abdominal Hysterectomy Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
Not available[13] | Not available[13] | 1 |
| MRSA Bacteremia Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
0.943 | 0.739 | 1 |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) Lower is better · SIR 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
0.920 | 0.426 | 1 |
| Timely and effective care | |||
| Hospital Harm – Severe Hypoglycemia Lower is better · CMS rate 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
Not available[5] | 2 | Not available |
| Healthcare workers given influenza vaccination Higher is better 10/01/2024–03/31/2025 |
95% | 93% | 78% |
| Median ED visit — all patients Lower is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
211 min | 130 min | 168 min |
| Median ED visit — excluding transfers and psychiatric/mental-health patients Lower is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
211 min | 128 min | 162 min |
| Median ED visit — psychiatric/mental-health patients Lower is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
237 min | 173 min | 257 min |
| Median ED visit — patients transferred to another facility Lower is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
172 min | 204 min | 287 min |
| Left before being seen Lower is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
1% | 0% | 2% |
| Stroke brain-scan results within 45 minutes Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
93% | 91% | 69% |
| Appropriate colonoscopy follow-up recommendation Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
99% | 86% | 93% |
| Improvement in Patient’s Visual Function within 90 Days Following Cataract Surgery Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
Not available[5] | Not available[5] | 97% |
| Concurrent prescribing of multiple opioids or opioids with benzodiazepines at discharge Lower is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
18% | 19% | 15% |
| Appropriate care for severe sepsis and septic shock Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
86%[2] | 67%[2] | 65% |
| Septic Shock 3-Hour Bundle Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
100%[2] | 68%[2] | 73% |
| Septic Shock 6-Hour Bundle Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
97%[2] | 94%[2] | 87% |
| Severe Sepsis 3-Hour Bundle Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
89%[2] | 80%[2] | 81% |
| Severe Sepsis 6-Hour Bundle Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
96%[2] | 97%[2] | 93% |
| Discharged on Antithrombotic Therapy Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
97% | Not available[5] | Not available |
| Anticoagulation Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
78% | Not available[5] | Not available |
| Antithrombotic Therapy by End of Hospital Day 2 Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
86% | 97% | Not available |
| Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Higher is better 01/01/2024–12/31/2024 |
Not available[5] | 98% | Not available |
| Patient experience | |||
| Patients who reported that their nurses “Always” communicated well Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
81% | 81% | 80% |
| Patients who reported that their nurses “Always” treated them with courtesy and respect Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
88% | 87% | 86% |
| Patients who reported that their nurses “Always” listened carefully to them Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
77% | 79% | 77% |
| Patients who reported that their nurses “Always” explained things in a way they could understand Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
77% | 76% | 76% |
| Patients who reported that their doctors “Always” communicated well Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
81% | 80% | 80% |
| Patients who reported that their doctors “Always” treated them with courtesy and respect Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
89% | 85% | 86% |
| Patients who reported that their doctors “Always” listened carefully to them Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
78% | 79% | 78% |
| Patients who reported that their doctors “Always” explained things in a way they could understand Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
75% | 76% | 75% |
| Patients who reported that staff “Always” explained about medicines before giving it to them Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
59% | 59% | 62% |
| Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff “Always” communicated what the medication was for Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
74% | 72% | 75% |
| Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff “Always” discussed possible side effects Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
44% | 46% | 49% |
| Patients who reported that YES, they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
87% | 87% | 86% |
| Patients who reported that YES, they did discuss whether they would need help after discharge Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
84% | 86% | 85% |
| Patients who reported that YES, they did receive written information about possible symptoms to look out for after discharge Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
91% | 89% | 88% |
| Patients who reported that their room and bathroom were “Always” clean Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
62% | 66% | 74% |
| Patients who reported that the area around their room was “Always” quiet at night Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
62% | 67% | 60% |
| Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
74% | 78% | 72% |
| Patients who reported YES, they would definitely recommend the hospital Higher is better 10/01/2024–09/30/2025 |
76% | 79% | 71% |
A few of these numbers need some explanation. For the measures tracking days patients spent back in the hospital, zero means the result matched what would be expected for patients with similar health needs. A negative score means fewer days back than expected; a positive score means more. CMS rates both hospitals as average on all three of these measures.
“Not available” should not be read as zero. Sometimes, too few patients qualified for CMS to report a result. The dates beneath each measure show when patients received the care being evaluated.
The ER times reflect the entire visit, including treatment, rather than just the wait to see a clinician. For infection scores, 1 is the national benchmark used for comparison, not the current national average. The serious-complications score is an index, so it should not be read as a percentage. Other patient-safety rates count events per 1,000 eligible cases.
The figures come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Readers can review the hospital data and national comparisons here:
-
Mortality and complications: Hospital results | National results
-
Readmissions and hospital visits: Hospital results | National results
-
Infections: Hospital results | National benchmark
-
Care processes: Hospital results | National results
-
Patient surveys: Hospital results | National results
The numbered notes beside some results also come from CMS. A [1] means too few patients qualified for the measure, and a [5] means the numbers were unavailable. A [23] means the hospital reported discrepancies in its claims data. CMS provides the full footnote definitions here.
The Rating Alone Doesn’t Tell the Story
Neither hospital came out ahead on every measure. Looking at individual results gives patients a fuller picture of where each performed well and where it fell short.
Take bypass surgery. NEA Baptist’s reported death rate within 30 days was 6.4%, compared with 4.0% at St. Bernards and 2.4% nationally. CMS classified Baptist’s result as worse than the national rate. St. Bernards did not receive that designation.
St. Bernards, however, had the higher readmission rate after bypass surgery: 15.3%, compared with 11.4% at Baptist and 11.0% nationally. CMS classified St. Bernards’ result as worse than the national rate. The death and readmission figures cover different periods, listed in the table.
Those comparisons require some care. CMS adjusts the rates to help account for differences in patients’ health needs, and a higher percentage alone does not establish a meaningful difference between hospitals. The number of patients behind each result also matters: The bypass mortality measure included 121 patients at St. Bernards and 52 at Baptist.
CMS also classified St. Bernards as worse than the national result on hospital-wide mortality and its serious-complications score. Its death rate for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, was 12.8%, compared with 8.6% nationally. Baptist’s rate was 8.7%, which CMS classified as no different from the national rate.
Some of Baptist’s results carry an additional qualification. The hospital reported discrepancies in claims data it submitted to CMS. The agency flags affected results with footnote 23, including Baptist’s overall star rating and serious-complications score. Its bypass mortality result does not carry that flag.
St. Bernards had stronger results on the sepsis-care measure, meeting it in 86% of eligible cases, compared with 67% at Baptist. Emergency-room visits were shorter at Baptist, where the median was 128 minutes, compared with 211 minutes at St. Bernards. These figures cover the full visit for patients included in the measure, including treatment, rather than just the wait to see a clinician.
Patients gave Baptist higher ratings overall. At Baptist, 78% rated the hospital a 9 or 10, compared with 74% at St. Bernards.
Both hospitals were below the national figure for cleanliness. At St. Bernards, 62% of patients said their rooms and bathrooms were always clean, compared with 66% at Baptist and 74% nationally.
The numbers on St. Bernards’ own website
The federal findings matter to St. Bernards for a reason beyond this comparison: the hospital has chosen to publish these measures itself. Its Quality & Safety Report names CMS Hospital Compare as its source. What readers get there, however, is an older set of results.
The page lists a COPD death rate of 11.4%. The newer result is 12.8%. For bypass-surgery readmissions, the posted figure is 11.4%; the newer figure is 15.3%.
Updating the page would also give St. Bernards credit for better numbers. Its sepsis-care result is now 86%, up from the posted 67%. The share of patients giving the hospital a nine or ten is also higher.
NEA Report made a table below that shows the old numbers compared with the new, highlighting the changes in both directions.
Red means the newer number moved in the wrong direction. Green means it moved in the right direction. Here, the comparison is with St. Bernards’ older figures, not the national benchmark. “pp” means percentage points.
| Measure / period key | On hospital website | Newer CMS result | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day mortality — lower is better | |||
| Heart attack (A) | 15.7% | 14.4% | -1.3 pp ↓ |
| Heart failure (A) | 13.7% | 12.3% | -1.4 pp ↓ |
| Pneumonia (A) | 20.7% | 18.5% | -2.2 pp ↓ |
| COPD (A) | 11.4% | 12.8% | +1.4 pp ↑ |
| Stroke* (B) | 18.4% | 13.7% | -4.7 pp ↓ |
| Bypass surgery (A) | 4.9% | 4.0% | -0.9 pp ↓ |
| 30-day readmissions — lower is better | |||
| Heart attack (C) | 14.2% | 16.6% | +2.4 pp ↑ |
| Heart failure (C) | 22.2% | 22.4% | +0.2 pp ↑ |
| Pneumonia (C) | 16.1% | 16.8% | +0.7 pp ↑ |
| COPD (C) | 19.7% | 21.9% | +2.2 pp ↑ |
| Bypass surgery (C) | 11.4% | 15.3% | +3.9 pp ↑ |
| Care processes — higher is better | |||
| Appropriate sepsis care (D) | 67% | 86% | +19 pp ↑ |
| Stroke scan results within 45 minutes (D) | 71% | 93% | +22 pp ↑ |
| Healthcare-worker flu vaccination (E) | 97% | 95% | -2 pp ↓ |
| Appropriate colonoscopy follow-up (F) | 98% | 99% | +1 pp ↑ |
| Patient experience — higher is better | |||
| Nurses always communicated well (D) | 75% | 81% | +6 pp ↑ |
| Doctors always communicated well (D) | 77% | 81% | +4 pp ↑ |
| Medicines always explained (D) | 51% | 59% | +8 pp ↑ |
| Room/bathroom always clean (D) | 58% | 62% | +4 pp ↑ |
| Always quiet at night (D) | 55% | 62% | +7 pp ↑ |
| Given recovery information (D) | 86% | 87% | +1 pp ↑ |
| Rated hospital 9 or 10 (D) | 65% | 74% | +9 pp ↑ |
| Would definitely recommend (D) | 67% | 76% | +9 pp ↑ |
A change in the reported number does not, by itself, prove care improved or worsened. These results cover different periods. CMS also changed how it measures stroke mortality, marked with an asterisk in the table.
Reporting periods and sources
Reporting periods (old → newer):
A: July 2020–June 2023 → July 2022–June 2025.
B: July 2020–June 2023 → July 2023–June 2025.
C: July 2020–June 2023 → July 2023–June 2025.
D: October 2022–September 2023 → October 2024–September 2025.
E: October 2022–March 2023 → October 2024–March 2025.
F: January–December 2022 → January–December 2024.
Sources: St. Bernards’ own report; CMS mortality, readmissions, care processes and patient surveys.
St. Bernards Response
NEA Report sought comment from St. Bernards by Sept. 23, but they did not respond to questions about why its quality-report page has not been updated or how it is addressing the federal findings. They’ve previously responded to all media inquiries.
Even after NEA Report extended its original deadline by a full week, St. Bernards still did not respond.. The hospital has also not responded to LeapFrog’s survey request, as outlined more below.
What Baptist tells patients online
NEA Baptist’s website shows off their national awards, but the site doesn’t tell readers when each was earned.
The Baptist system’s awards page still starts with honors from 2024. In a May 1, 2024, announcement, the hospital celebrated its fifth consecutive A safety grade from Leapfrog. That was accurate.
That was also the last update.
Baptist’s grade dropped to a B that fall, and it received another B in each of the next three rounds: spring 2025, fall 2025 and spring 2026.
The latest results on the awards page? 2024’s A rating.
Baptist has also chosen not to display the CMS results reviewed for this story. Doing so would show that Baptist has better reported results than St. Bernards on several measures. Baptist reported shorter ER visits, fewer readmissions after bypass surgery and higher overall patient ratings.
They would also show its shortcomings, including a higher reported bypass death rate and a lower percentage of eligible patients receiving the care specified in the sepsis measure.
Interestingly, St. Bernards also saw its Leapfrog score drop close to the same time frame as Baptist’s. Leapfrog shows a decline at St. Bernards, which received Bs throughout 2023 and 2024. Its spring 2026 C was its third consecutive C.
But patients looking for more information on St. Bernards’ Leapfrog survey page will instead find “Declined to Report” throughout. Leapfrog says the hospital was asked to share its infection data and chose not to.
These grades focus on how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm. They are separate from Medicare’s overall quality stars and use their own reporting periods.
NEA Report did not locate a current hospital-specific outcomes table on the Baptist web pages we reviewed, which is why there is no comparison chart as was for St. Bernards.
Baptist’s website links to a 2025 community health assessment, a report on local health problems and gaps in care. The CMS figures examined in this story address the hospital’s own performance, including patient death rates, readmissions and complications.
NEA Baptist responds
Craig Earley, administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, provided the following statement in response to NEA Report’s questions:
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital has a reputation for excellence, and I am proud of the care our team provides. We have been consistently recognized by Leapfrog and U.S. News & World Report, as well as other hospital rating sites, for our high-quality care. In fact, U.S. News & World Report has recognized NEA Baptist as high performing in three conditions for 2026-2027. Although our recent CMS and Leapfrog ratings differ from the level of performance we expect and have historically achieved, our commitment to high-quality care remains unchanged. We continuously evaluate our outcomes, benchmark ourselves against national standards and take immediate action whenever opportunities for improvement are identified. Our leadership and clinical teams are focused on ensuring we continue to provide safe, effective and compassionate care for the communities we serve.
As ratings change frequently, we encourage the community to visit our website, baptistonline.org, for updates on our care, services and ratings, and to speak to their health care providers about any concerns related to where they should receive their care.
—Craig Earley, Administrator and CEO, NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
The federal figures have a lag, too. Even though they were released in August 2026, they describe care delivered in earlier years.
Readers can check the dates in the tables and open Medicare’s hospital comparison to see the government’s results directly.
Disclosure: We used OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra to help compile the large quantity of hospital data in this report.
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