Arkansas hospital Medicare penalties
Which Arkansas hospitals Medicare is penalizing for infections and patient-safety problems in fiscal year 2026, and which had more readmissions than expected.
Safety penalty (HAC)14 of 4134% · U.S. 24%
Excess readmissions35 of 38Above expected on 1+ condition
In the programs41Arkansas hospitals
Fiscal year2026Penalty year
Every Arkansas hospital in the programs
Penalized hospitals first. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | HAC penalty | Readmissions above expected | VBP score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nea Baptist Memorial HospitalJonesboro | 1% cut | 5 of 5Highest: Heart failure 1.11 | 22.5 |
| Baptist Health - Fort SmithFort Smith | 1% cut | 4 of 5Highest: Heart failure 1.12 | 31.8 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center- ConwayConway | 1% cut | 4 of 4Highest: COPD 1.04 | 21.6 |
| St Bernards Medical CenterJonesboro | 1% cut | 4 of 5Highest: Heart bypass surgery 1.22 | 26.8 |
| Arkansas Heart HospitalLittle Rock | 1% cut | 2 of 5Highest: Pneumonia 1.13 | – |
| Conway Regional Medical CenterConway | 1% cut | 2 of 4Highest: Heart attack 1.06 | 24.2 |
| Drew Memorial HospitalMonticello | 1% cut | 2 of 3Highest: Heart failure 1.11 | 22.6 |
| North Arkansas Reg Med CtrHarrison | 1% cut | 2 of 4Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.03 | 23.5 |
| Ouachita County Medical CenterCamden | 1% cut | 2 of 2Highest: Pneumonia 1.05 | 20 |
| White River Medical CenterBatesville | 1% cut | 2 of 5Highest: Heart attack 1.04 | 21.8 |
| Jefferson Regional Medical CtrPine Bluff | 1% cut | 1 of 5Highest: Pneumonia 1.06 | 16.4 |
| Medical Center South ArkansasEl Dorado | 1% cut | 1 of 4Highest: Heart attack 1.01 | 22.9 |
| St Marys Regional Medical CenterRussellville | 1% cut | 1 of 5Highest: Heart attack 1.05 | 32.4 |
| University of Arkansas Medical SciencesLittle Rock | 1% cut | 1 of 4Highest: Heart attack 1.05 | 16.9 |
| Baxter Regional Medical CenterMountain Home | No | 6 of 6Highest: Heart bypass surgery 1.20 | 31.9 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center-Little RockLittle Rock | No | 4 of 6Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.09 | 23.5 |
| CHI St. Vincent Hospital Hot SpringsHot Springs | No | 4 of 6Highest: COPD 1.08 | 26.3 |
| Mercy Hospital Fort SmithFort Smith | No | 4 of 6Highest: COPD 1.06 | 17.3 |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital-EncoreBryant | No | 3 of 4Highest: Heart failure 1.09 | 37.6 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center North Little RockNorth Little Rock | No | 3 of 6Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.28 | 23.4 |
| White County Medical CenterSearcy | No | 3 of 5Highest: Pneumonia 1.11 | 16.3 |
| John Ed Chambers Mem Hosp, INCDanville | No | 2 of 3Highest: COPD 1.02 | 55.4 |
| Johnson Regional Medical CenterClarksville | No | 2 of 3Highest: Pneumonia 1.08 | 30.7 |
| Mercy Hospital Northwest ArkansasRogers | No | 2 of 5Highest: Pneumonia 1.05 | 27.8 |
| National Park Medical CenterHot Springs | No | 2 of 6Highest: Heart attack 1.14 | 19.4 |
| Saline Memorial HospitalBenton | No | 2 of 5Highest: Pneumonia 1.06 | 31.4 |
| Siloam Springs Memorial HospitalSiloam Springs | No | 2 of 2Highest: Pneumonia 1.01 | 38.7 |
| St Vincent Infirmary Medical CenterLittle Rock | No | 2 of 5Highest: Heart failure 1.02 | 23.8 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden, INCWest Memphis | No | 1 of 2Highest: Heart failure 1.00 | – |
| Forrest City Medical CenterForrest City | No | 1 of 1Highest: Pneumonia 1.01 | – |
| Great River Medical CenterBlytheville | No | 1 of 2Highest: Pneumonia 1.08 | – |
| Hot Spring County Medical CenterMalvern | No | 1 of 1Highest: Pneumonia 1.00 | – |
| St Vincent Medical Center/NorthSherwood | No | 1 of 2Highest: Pneumonia 1.01 | 37.4 |
| Stuttgart Regional Medical CtrStuttgart | No | 1 of 2Highest: Heart failure 1.04 | – |
| Washington Regional Med CenterFayetteville | No | 1 of 6Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.01 | 21.6 |
| Arkansas Methodist Medical CenterParagould | No | 0 of 4 | 20.3 |
| Arkansas Surgical HospitalNorth Little Rock | No | 0 of 1 | – |
| Baptist Health - van BurenVan Buren | No | – | – |
| Leo N Levi National Arthritis HospitalHot Springs | No | – | – |
| Northwest Medical Center-SpringdaleSpringdale | No | 0 of 4 | 27.5 |
| Unity Health - JacksonvilleJacksonville | No | – | – |
Questions
Which Arkansas hospitals does Medicare penalize for patient safety?
14 of 41 Arkansas hospitals in the program (34%, vs 24% nationally) have their Medicare payments cut 1% in fiscal year 2026: Nea Baptist Memorial Hospital, Baptist Health - Fort Smith, Baptist Health Medical Center- Conway, St Bernards Medical Center, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Conway Regional Medical Center, Drew Memorial Hospital, North Arkansas Reg Med Ctr, Ouachita County Medical Center, White River Medical Center, Jefferson Regional Medical Ctr, Medical Center South Arkansas and 2 more.
What does a readmission ratio above 1.00 mean?
It means the hospital's Medicare patients were readmitted within 30 days more often than CMS expected for similar patients. In Arkansas, 35 of 38 rated hospitals were above 1.00 on at least one condition.
HAC: the quarter of hospitals with the worst hospital-acquired condition scores get a 1% cut to Medicare inpatient payments. Readmissions: a ratio above 1.00 means more readmissions than expected; whether payments are cut depends on how the hospital compares with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone isn't a penalty. VBP: Value-Based Purchasing total performance score out of 100. How the penalties work.