Watauga Medical CenterBoone, NC
Watauga Medical Center is a public acute care hospital in Boone, North Carolina, with an emergency department. As of the July 2026 CMS release, patients treated and sent home spend a median of 3 hr 12 min in its emergency department, 9 min longer than the North Carolina average of 3 hr 3 min. Medicare rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall, and patients give it 4 out of 5 in the Medicare patient survey.
(828) 262-4100 Visit Website- Time ZoneEST
- CountyWatauga
- Emergency CapableYes
- FIPS37189
- Area Code828
Visiting Watauga 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
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients spend an average of 3 hours 12 minutes in the emergency department at Watauga Medical Center. That is 9 minutes longer than the North Carolina average of 3 hours 3 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 Watauga Medical Center. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across North Carolina · How North Carolina hospitals rank on star ratings · Other birthing-friendly hospitals in North Carolina · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What patients say
CMS patient survey (HCAHPS) · 597 completed surveys · patients discharged Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Patients gave Watauga Medical Center a 4-star patient experience rating out of 5. 77% would definitely recommend it (U.S. average 71%). 77% 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.
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Of the 4 hospital-acquired infections CMS could compare, Watauga 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 | 11.9% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure patients | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia patients | 17.8% | 15.2% |
| Stroke patients | 10.6% | 11.9% |
| COPD patients | 9.8% | 8.6% |
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 3.5% | 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 12 complication measures
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complications after hip or knee replacement% of patients | 3.6 | 4.1 | Not compared |
| Deaths among surgical patients with serious treatable complicationsper 1,000 patients | 153.05 | 173.3 | Same as national |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores)per 1,000 patients | 0.34 | 0.63 | Same as national |
| Falls in the hospital that caused a broken boneper 1,000 patients | 0.25 | 0.27 | Same as national |
| Collapsed lung caused by a medical procedureper 1,000 patients | 0.18 | 0.21 | Same as national |
| Bleeding or blood clot under the skin after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 2.47 | 2.34 | Same as national |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 1.6 | 1.67 | Same as national |
| Respiratory failure after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 9.24 | 9.42 | Same as national |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 4.38 | 3.52 | Same as national |
| Bloodstream infection (sepsis) after surgeryper 1,000 patients | 5.76 | 5.27 | Same as national |
| Surgical wound splitting openper 1,000 patients | 1.72 | 1.77 | Same as national |
| Accidental cuts or tears during abdominal surgeryper 1,000 patients | 0.98 | 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.
Nearby ERs with shorter visits
Readmissions and return visits
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients · Jul 2023 – Jun 2025
On the 4 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Watauga 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 | 13.4% | 14.4% | Not compared |
| Heart failure | 20.9% | 21.3% | Not compared |
| Pneumonia | 18% | 17.3% | Not compared |
| COPD (chronic lung disease) | 20.6% | 20% | Not compared |
| Hip or knee replacement | 5.1% | 5.8% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip or knee replacement | 1.122 | – | More than expected |
| Heart failure | 1.030 | 165 | More than expected |
| Pneumonia | 1.005 | 180 | More than expected |
| COPD | 0.990 | 84 | Fewer than expected |
| Heart attack | 0.959 | 117 | 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
Watauga Medical Center's emergency department is classed by CMS as medium volume.
| 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. 210 patients. | 44% | 65% |
| Septic shock: full treatment within 3 hoursHigher is better. 67 patients. | 42% | 73% |
| Stroke: brain scan read within 45 minutes of ER arrivalPatients arriving with stroke symptoms whose head CT or MRI was interpreted within 45 minutes. Higher is better. 15 patients. | 60% | 69% |
| 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. 371 patients. | 192 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 13 patients. | 211 min | 257 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 11 patients. | 453 min | 287 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 23,682 patients. | 1% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 1,168 patients. | 92% | 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. 1,249 patients. | 15% | 15% |
| Colonoscopy: right follow-up interval for average-risk patientsHigher is better. 104 patients. | 97% | 93% |
| Stroke: discharged on clot-prevention medicineHigher is better. 75 patients. | 97% | 98%* |
| Stroke: clot prevention started by day 2Higher is better. 73 patients. | 92% | 94%* |
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.
Maternity care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · reported by the hospital · Jan 2024 – Dec 2024
Maternity measures are reported by hospitals that deliver babies. The U.S. figure is the median of the hospitals CMS reports, not a CMS verdict. About the data.
Medicare spending and payment programs
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Value-based purchasing scores by area
| Area | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| Clinical outcomesDeath rates and complications | 10 |
| Patient experiencePatient survey results | 71 |
| SafetyHospital-acquired infections | 32 |
| Efficiency and costMedicare spending per patient | 30 |
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.
Doctors at Watauga Medical Center
199 Medicare-enrolled doctors and specialists list this hospital as an affiliation, across 26 specialties.
What Medicare paid at Watauga 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 North Carolina.
Hospital stays
| Stay | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Septicemia or severe sepsis without ventilator >96 hours with major complicationsDRG 871 | 78 | $37,413 | $18,923 | +15% |
| Heart failure and shock with major complicationsDRG 291 | 54 | $22,548 | $11,893 | +5% |
| Major hip and knee joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity without major complicationsDRG 470 | 46 | $54,819 | $17,509 | +13% |
| Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with major complicationsDRG 193 | 35 | $27,936 | $12,112 | +5% |
| Respiratory infections and inflammations with major complicationsDRG 177 | 34 | $35,580 | $15,777 | +11% |
| Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with complications or TPA in 24 hoursDRG 065 | 23 | $27,722 | $9,614 | +3% |
| Hip and femur procedures except major joint with complicationsDRG 481 | 23 | $55,186 | $20,066 | +15% |
| Hip replacement with principal diagnosis of hip fracture without major complicationsDRG 522 | 23 | $53,118 | $19,598 | +13% |
Outpatient services
| Service | Services | Avg charge | Avg allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5115 | 247 | $45,451 | $12,163 |
| Level 1 Intraocular ProceduresAPC 5491 | 200 | $7,519 | $2,137 |
| Comprehensive Observation ServicesAPC 8011 | 186 | $11,134 | $2,518 |
| Level 2 Upper GI ProceduresAPC 5302 | 89 | $10,902 | $1,726 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5114 | 83 | $32,920 | $6,668 |
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 North Carolina hospital finances.
Who owns Watauga Medical Center
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Watauga Medical Center Inc, a for-profit organization, incorporated 1931.
418 doctors and other clinicians list Watauga 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 Watauga Medical Center
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Parts of Watauga are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 18.
Mental health: Parts of Watauga are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 18.
Dental: Parts of Watauga are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 20.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in North Carolina earn a median $84,350 a year. Healthcare salaries in North Carolina.
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. North Carolina shortage areas
Find doctors in Boone
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Boone, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
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The badge updates automatically when CMS publishes new ratings. About badges.