Mercy Northwest Arkansas Earns 5-Star Rating from CMS

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Mercy Northwest Arkansas Earns 5-Star Rating from CMS

Ashley Siwiec

Cell: 479-381-2333

Quick Facts: Northwest AR

Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas once again earned a 5-star rating for quality and patient safety from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Mercy hospitals in Rogers and Paris are two of only three hospitals in Arkansas to achieve the highest possible designation in the agency’s Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.

CMS star ratings evaluate hospital performance across 52 quality measures grouped into five key categories: mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience and timely and effective care. Hospitals are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest level of performance nationwide.

The 2026 ratings reflect data collected between 2021 to 2024 and are calculated using a weighted methodology across these categories. This year, approximately 385 hospitals of more than 4,600 hospitals nationwide received a 5-star rating.

“Excellence in healthcare is built on trust, consistency and a passion for serving others,” said Rhett Stover, president of Mercy Northwest Arkansas Communities. “Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas’ 5-star rating from CMS is a testament to the world-class care our community deserves and has come to expect from Mercy. This recognition belongs entirely to our incredible caregivers, whose focus on patient-first care continues to elevate the standard of healthcare in our region.”

The CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating is designed to help patients and families make informed decisions about their care by simplifying complex quality data into a clear, accessible format. While the rating serves as a valuable benchmark, it also reflects a hospital’s sustained commitment to clinical excellence, patient experience and continuous improvement.

Additionally, Mercy Northwest Arkansas earned the newly introduced CMS designation as a Birthing-Friendly Hospital, recognizing its commitment to improving maternal health outcomes through evidence-based quality and safety initiatives in maternity care. Awarded as part of the CMS rating system for the first time this year, the designation reflects participation in perinatal quality improvement collaboratives and implementation of proven interventions to enhance care for mothers and newborns, underscoring the hospital’s continued focus on delivering safe, high-quality and equitable care.

“Our team is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for our patients, and we are so proud to have their hard work recognized,” said Dr. Sonal Bhakta, Mercy Northwest Arkansas chief medical officer. “We realize excellence is a journey, not a destination. We’re always committed to being even better tomorrow than we are today and delivering the best possible experience and care for every patient.”

Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas’ recognition from CMS as well as its 14th Straight A grade from The Leapfrog Group further distinguishes it as a leader in healthcare quality and safety across the state and region.

For more information about the ratings, visit the CMS website for hospital quality star ratings. To compare hospital ratings nationwide, visit Medicare.gov to access its Care Compare tool.

Mercy, one of the 15 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation’s largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including 55 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has over 1,000 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities, more than 5,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 50,000 caregivers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In fiscal year 2025 alone, Mercy provided more than half a billion dollars of free care and other community benefits, including traditional charity care and unreimbursed Medicaid.