Clay County Hospital, Ashland, AL

Infections, complications and deaths

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide

Its rate of serious complications was same as national.

Serious complications

Death rates within 30 days

Risk-adjusted rates. CMS has not published a statistical better/worse comparison for these death rates in the current release, so small differences from the U.S. rate may be chance.

Other complications

None of the other safety indicators CMS compares was statistically better or worse than national.

"Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national benchmark statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Infection results compare the infections a hospital reported with the number predicted for a hospital of its size and type (a ratio below 1 means fewer than predicted). Death and complication rates are risk-adjusted for how sick patients were. Each death rate counts deaths within 30 days of a hospital stay, pooled over one to three years of Medicare patients depending on the measure. About the data.

Readmissions and return visits

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients · Jul 2023 – Jun 2025

On the 1 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Clay County Hospital was no different from the national rate or its expected level.

Back in the hospital within 30 days

Return trips after a stay or procedure

Medicare's readmission program

Excess readmission ratio: this hospital's predicted readmissions divided by the number expected for a typical hospital with the same patients. Above 1.00 means more readmissions than expected.

Readmission rates count Medicare patients who were admitted to any acute-care hospital within 30 days of leaving this one, adjusted for how sick they were. "Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national rate statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Return-day and outpatient-surgery measures compare the hospital with what CMS expected for its own patients. The Readmissions Reduction Program ratios are shown as CMS publishes them; whether a hospital's payments are reduced depends on how its ratios compare with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone doesn't mean a penalty. About the data.

Timely and effective care

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Oct 2024 – Sep 2025

Clay County Hospital's emergency department is classed by CMS as low volume.

CMS publishes these process-of-care measures without a better/worse verdict, so the U.S. figure is shown for context; small differences, or results based on few patients, may not mean much. *Median of all hospitals CMS reports, where CMS publishes no national figure. About the data.

Medicare spending and payment programs

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program cuts Medicare payments by 1% for the quarter of hospitals with the worst scores. The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program withholds a small share of every hospital's Medicare payments and pays it back according to the total performance score. A spending ratio of 1.00 equals the national median; spending reflects prices, the services patients received and care after discharge, not quality. Some hospitals, such as critical access, children's and cancer hospitals, are not part of these programs. About the data.

What Medicare paid at Clay County Hospital

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · original Medicare patients · 2024

Average hospital charges and actual payments for the procedures Medicare patients most often had here, compared with the average for Alabama.

Hospital stays

Outpatient services

Charges are the hospital's list prices; payments are what Medicare, the patient and any other insurer actually paid (for outpatient services, Medicare's allowed amount). Private insurance prices differ. "vs state" compares this hospital's average payment with the state average for the same stay. All procedure costs.

Size and finances

Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Sep 2024

As reported by the hospital to CMS; not audited. Operating margin is income from patient care divided by net patient revenue and leaves out investment income and donations. Compare Alabama hospital finances.

Who owns Clay County Hospital

Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)

18 doctors and other clinicians list Clay County Hospital as a hospital affiliation in Medicare's clinician directory.

Organizations with 5% or more ownership (directly or through other companies), partnership interests or operational control, as the hospital reported them to Medicare. Records can lag behind recent sales. Individuals are not listed. Who owns America's hospitals.

The area around Clay County Hospital

HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data

Primary care: Clay is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 13.

Mental health: Clay is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 19.

Dental: Parts of Clay are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 18.

Nurse pay: registered nurses in Alabama earn a median $77,080 a year. Healthcare salaries in Alabama.

Shortage areas are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration where there are too few primary care, mental health or dental providers for the population; scores run from 0 to 25 for primary and mental health care and 0 to 26 for dental care, higher meaning greater need. Alabama shortage areas