Source: CMS Care Compare, July 2026 releaseER figures are medians, not live waitsAbout the data
Visiting Bay Medical Center
- Photo ID and your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
- A list of your medicines, doses and allergies
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- A phone charger
Official links: Website for Bay Medical Center (opens the hospital's site)
Nearby hospitals
- 1.8mi Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital Panama City, FL Call Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital Directions to Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital (Google Maps) Details for Emerald Coast Behavioral Hospital
- 2.1mi Gulf Coast Medical Center Panama City, FL · Emergency room · median ER visit 2 hr 14 min Call Gulf Coast Medical Center Directions to Gulf Coast Medical Center (Google Maps) Details for Gulf Coast Medical Center
- 34mi Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf Port St Joe, FL · Emergency room · median ER visit 1 hr 45 min Call Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf Directions to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf (Google Maps) Details for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf
Quick answers about Bay Medical Center
How long is the ER wait at Bay Medical Center?
CMS doesn't publish live wait times. Over the 12 months CMS reported, patients treated and sent home spent a median of 2 hr 56 min in the Bay Medical Center emergency room (the average across Florida hospitals is 2 hr 35 min). For tonight's wait, check the hospital's website (opens the hospital's own site) or call (850) 769-1511. In an emergency, call 911.
What is the phone number for Bay Medical Center?
The main phone number for Bay Medical Center is (850) 769-1511, from Medicare's hospital records.
Call (850) 769-1511What is the address of Bay Medical Center?
Bay Medical Center is at 615 N Bonita Ave, Panama City, FL 32401.
Directions (opens Google Maps)Does Bay Medical Center have an emergency room?
Yes. Bay Medical Center has an emergency department, according to Medicare data.
What is Bay Medical Center's Medicare star rating?
Bay Medical Center has an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Star ratings come from CMS quality and safety measures, not patient reviews.
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients treated and sent home from the emergency department at Bay Medical Center spend a median of 2 hours 56 minutes there. That is 21 minutes longer than the average across Florida hospitals (2 hours 35 minutes).
Source: CMS Hospital General Information and Timely & Effective Care. Wait times are a median over a past 12-month reporting period, not live data. Not affiliated with CMS or with Bay Medical Center. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across Florida · How Florida hospitals rank on star ratings · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What patients say
CMS patient survey (HCAHPS) · 482 completed surveys · patients discharged Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Patients gave Bay Medical Center a 3-star patient experience rating out of 5. 72% would definitely recommend it (U.S. average 71%). 69% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10.
The patient survey (HCAHPS) asks a random sample of adult patients about their recent hospital stay. CMS adjusts the results for the mix of patients and how the survey was done, so hospitals can be compared fairly. About the data.
Compare Bay Medical Center
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Of the 5 hospital-acquired infections CMS could compare, Bay Medical Center was better than the national benchmark on 1 and worse on 0. Its rate of serious complications was same as national.
Hospital-acquired infections
Serious complications
Death rates within 30 days
| Patients treated for | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Heart attack patients | 12.9% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure patients | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia patients | 12.8% | 15.2% |
| Stroke patients | 16.3% | 11.9% |
| COPD patients | 8.0% | 8.6% |
| Coronary bypass (CABG) surgery patients | 3.1% | 2.4% |
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 4.1% | 3.9% |
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.
All 11 complication measures
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths among surgical patients with serious treatable complicationsper 1,000 patients | 190.7 | 173.3 | Same as national |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores)per 1,000 patients | 0.55 | 0.63 | Same as national |
| Falls in the hospital that caused a broken boneper 1,000 patients | 0.28 | 0.27 | Same as national |
| Collapsed lung caused by a medical procedureper 1,000 patients | 0.22 | 0.21 | Same as national |
| Bleeding or blood clot under the skin after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 2.09 | 2.34 | Same as national |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 1.88 | 1.67 | Same as national |
| Respiratory failure after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 14.72 | 9.42 | Same as national |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 2.56 | 3.52 | Same as national |
| Bloodstream infection (sepsis) after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 5.86 | 5.27 | Same as national |
| Surgical wound splitting openper 1,000 patients | 1.69 | 1.77 | Same as national |
| Accidental cuts or tears during abdominal surgeryper 1,000 patients | 0.93 | 1.06 | Same as 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), for Oct 2024 – Sep 2025. 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, Bay Medical Center was no different from the national rate or its expected level.
Back in the hospital within 30 days
| After a stay for | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart attack | 14.3% | 14.4% | Not compared |
| Heart failure | 22.4% | 21.3% | Not compared |
| Pneumonia | 18.2% | 17.3% | Not compared |
| COPD (chronic lung disease) | 20.4% | 20% | Not compared |
| Heart bypass surgery (CABG) | 10.1% | 11% | Not compared |
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. 3 of 5 conditions are above 1.00.
| Condition | Ratio | Patients | Readmissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart bypass surgery | 1.020 | – | More than expected |
| Heart attack | 1.009 | 171 | More than expected |
| COPD | 1.004 | 68 | More than expected |
| Pneumonia | 0.992 | 329 | Fewer than expected |
| Heart failure | 0.970 | 318 | Fewer 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
| Measure | This hospital | U.S.* |
|---|---|---|
| Sepsis: got all recommended early treatmentPatients with severe sepsis or septic shock who received every step of the recommended early care bundle. Higher is better. 226 patients. | 58% | 65% |
| Septic shock: full treatment within 3 hoursHigher is better. 59 patients. | 69% | 73% |
| Typical time in the ER before going homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving, for ER patients sent home (not counting mental health patients or transfers). Lower is better. 389 patients. | 176 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 23 patients. | 256 min | 257 min |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 1,376 patients. | 91% | 78% |
| Discharged on two opioids, or an opioid and a benzodiazepinePatients sent home with prescriptions that raise the risk of overdose when combined. Lower is better. 671 patients. | 18% | 15% |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better. 1,245 patients. | 95% | 90%* |
| Blood clot prevention given in intensive careHigher is better. 526 patients. | 97% | 97%* |
| Stroke: discharged on clot-prevention medicineHigher is better. 59 patients. | 93% | 98%* |
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.
Care after a stay at Bay Medical Center
Medicare-certified providers near this hospital, with their CMS ratings. A hospital discharge planner can make the referral.
Skilled nursing facilities nearby
- 2.0mi St Andrew's Bay Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Panama City, FL · 120 beds Medicare overall 4 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 3 of 5
- 3.3mi Pruitthealth - Panama City Panama City, FL · 101 beds Medicare overall 4 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 2 of 5
- 3.4mi Aviata at Emerald Shores Callaway, FL · 77 beds Medicare overall 5 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 3 of 5
Skilled nursing ratings and inspections at Nursing Homes In Each State
Dialysis centers nearby See more
- 3.0mi DaVita Panama City Dialysis CenterPanama City, FL
- 3.0mi FMC - Panama CityPanama City, FL
- 5.5mi DaVita Lynn Haven DialysisLynn Haven, FL
Home health agencies nearby See more
- 3.0mi Centerwell Home HealthPanama City, FL · 87% would recommend
- 3.0mi Enhabit Home HealthPanama City, FL · 83% would recommend
- 3.0mi Tender Touch Health Care ServicesPanama City, FL · 91% would recommend
Hospice care providers nearby See more
- 3.0mi Emerald Coast HospicePanama City, FL · 89% would recommend
- 3.0mi Peoples Hospice and Palliative CarePanama City, FL Not rated
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Doctors at Bay Medical Center
257 Medicare-enrolled doctors and other clinicians list this hospital as an affiliation, across 28 specialties.
Find doctors in Panama City
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Panama City, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
What Medicare paid at Bay Medical Center
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 Florida.
Hospital stays
| Stay | Stays | Avg billed | Avg payment (Medicare + patient) | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Septicemia or severe sepsis without ventilator >96 hours with major complicationsDRG 871 | 267 | $64,270 | $14,772 | −6% |
| Heart failure and shock with major complicationsDRG 291 | 162 | $38,507 | $10,128 | −5% |
| Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with major complicationsDRG 193 | 69 | $51,194 | $10,382 | −5% |
| Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with major complicationsDRG 280 | 55 | $52,488 | $12,365 | −3% |
| Hip and femur procedures except major joint with complicationsDRG 481 | 53 | $94,168 | $15,215 | −7% |
| Percutaneous and other intracardiac procedures without major complicationsDRG 274 | 50 | $148,412 | $23,142 | −7% |
| Kidney and urinary tract infections with major complicationsDRG 689 | 50 | $34,738 | $9,130 | −6% |
| Respiratory infections and inflammations with major complicationsDRG 177 | 44 | $53,101 | $12,336 | −6% |
Outpatient services
| Service | Services | Avg billed | Avg allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Endovascular ProceduresAPC 5191 | 352 | $29,375 | $2,944 |
| Comprehensive Observation ServicesAPC 8011 | 223 | $21,036 | $2,440 |
| Level 3 Electrophysiologic ProceduresAPC 5213 | 142 | $197,852 | $21,180 |
| Level 3 Endovascular ProceduresAPC 5193 | 106 | $69,426 | $9,957 |
| Level 2 Excision/Biopsy/Incision and DrainageAPC 5072 | 96 | $14,884 | $1,469 |
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 Jun 2025
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 Florida hospital finances.
Who owns Bay Medical Center
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Bay County Health System LLC, a non-profit organization.
575 doctors and other clinicians list Bay Medical Center 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 Bay Medical Center
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Parts of Bay are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 8.
Mental health: Bay is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 15.
Dental: Parts of Bay are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 15.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in Florida earn a median $84,190 a year. Healthcare salaries in Florida.
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. Florida shortage areas
Closest other hospitals
Add this rating badge to your website
The badge updates automatically when CMS publishes new ratings. The compact and footer-strip sizes fit site footers and sidebars. All badge sizes and help.
Cite this data
Writing about Bay Medical Center? You're welcome to quote these figures. They are free to use under CC BY 4.0: please credit HospitalsInEachState.com and link to this page.