Harlan County Health SystemAlma, NE
Harlan County Health System is a public critical access hospital in Alma, Nebraska, with an emergency department. As of the July 2026 CMS release, patients treated and sent home spend a median of 1 hr 39 min in its emergency department, 21 min shorter than the Nebraska average of 2 hr.
- Time ZoneCST
- CountyHarlan
- Emergency CapableYes
- FIPS31083
- Area Code308
Visiting Harlan County Health System
- 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
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients spend an average of 1 hour 39 minutes in the emergency department at Harlan County Health System. That is 21 minutes shorter than the Nebraska average of 2 hours.
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 Harlan County Health System. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across Nebraska · Other Critical Access hospitals in Nebraska · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Death rates within 30 days
| Patients treated for | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 4.9% | 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.
"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.
Nearby ERs with shorter visits
Readmissions and return visits
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients
On the 1 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Harlan County Health System was no different from the national rate or its expected level.
Return trips after a stay or procedure
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
Harlan County Health System's emergency department is classed by CMS as low volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 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. 127 patients. | 99 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 23 patients. | 134 min | 257 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 95 patients. | 176 min | 287 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 1,000 patients. | 0% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 128 patients. | 69% | 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. 29 patients. | 41% | 15% |
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. About the data.
Doctors at Harlan County Health System
27 Medicare-enrolled doctors and specialists list this hospital as an affiliation, across 13 specialties.
Federal rules require hospitals to publish their prices, including the rates they've negotiated with each insurer and their cash prices. Harlan County Health System lists them here:
From the hospital's price transparency file (harlancountyhealth.com/cms-hpt.txt), checked Oct 24, 2026. For an estimate of what you'll pay, ask the hospital or your insurer; Medicare's averages are on our procedure cost pages.
Size and finances
Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Dec 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 Nebraska hospital finances.
Who owns Harlan County Health System
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Harlan County Health System, a non-profit organization.
48 doctors and other clinicians list Harlan County Health System 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 Harlan County Health System
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Mental health: Harlan is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 12.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in Nebraska earn a median $84,730 a year. Healthcare salaries in Nebraska.
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. Nebraska shortage areas
Find doctors in Alma
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Alma, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.