Even though recent studies have called into question if low readmission rates are a sign of a high-quality hospital, hospitals in the U.S. are still financially punished for high readmission rates as part of CMS' Hospital Readmission Reduction Program.
The national 30-day rate of readmission after hospital discharge is 15.6 percent, according to the most recent data from CMS' Hospital Compare. However, some hospitals have much lower readmission rates than the national average.
Listed below are the 49 hospitals with 30-day hospitalwide readmission rates at or below 13.6 percent. Data were pulled from CMS' Hospital Compare website, and the rates reflect data measured from July 2014 through June 2015.
Hospital for Special Surgery (New York) — 10.8 percent
Hoag Orthopedic Institute (Irvine, Calif.) — 11
New England Baptist Hospital (Boston) — 11.8
OrthoIndy Hospital (Indianapolis) — 12.2
Mount Carmel New Albany (Ohio) Surgical Hospital — 12.3
Arkansas Surgical Hospital (North Little Rock) — 12.4
St. Francis-Downtown (Greenville, S.C.) — 12.8
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (Monterey, Calif.) — 12.9
Kansas Spine & Specialty Hospital (Wichita) — 12.9
Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital (Omaha) — 13
St. Alexius Medical Center (Bismarck, N.D.) — 13
Chino Valley Medical Center (Chino, Calif.) — 13.1
Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital — 13.1
Kansas Surgery & Recover Center (Wichita) — 13.1
Texas Orthopedic Hospital (Houston) — 13.1
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla (Calif.) — 13.2
Fresno (Calif.) Surgical Hospital — 13.2
Parkview Medical Center (Pueblo, Colo.) — 13.2
St. Vincent Carmel (Ind.) Hospital — 13.2
CHI St. Luke's Health-Patients Medical Center (Pasadena, Texas) — 13.2
Providence Alaska Medical Center (Anchorage) — 13.3
Verde Valley Medical Center (Cottonwood, Ariz.) — 13.3
Mercy Medical Center Redding (Calif.) — 13.3
St. Mary's Medical Center (Grand Junction, Colo.) — 13.3
The Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu, Hawaii) — 13.3
Mercy Hospital (Iowa City, Iowa) — 13.3
Intermountain Medical Center (Murray, Utah) — 13.3
Nebraska Spine Hospital (Omaha) — 13.4
Oklahoma Surgical Hospital (Tulsa) — 13.4
McBride Orthopedic Hospital (Oklahoma City, Okla.) — 13.4
St. Joseph Medical Center (Bellingham, Wash.) — 13.4
Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire (Wis.) Hospital — 13.4
Santa Barbara (Calif.) Cottage Hospital — 13.5
MaineGeneral Medical Center (Augusta) — 13.5
MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena — 13.5
Lincoln (Neb.) Surgical Hospital — 13.5
Oklahoma Heart Hospital (Oklahoma City) — 13.5
Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital — 13.5
Flagstaff (Ariz.) Medical Center — 13.6
Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital — 13.6
ValleyCare Medical Center (Pleasanton, Calif.) — 13.6
Sutter Auburn (Calif.) Faith Hospital — 13.6
Centrua Health-Penrose St. Francis Health Services (Colorado Springs, Colo.) — 13.6
Rooks County Health Center (Plainville, Kan.) — 13.6
St. Patrick Hospital (Missoula, Mont.) — 13.6
St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings, Mont.) — 13.6
Integris Bass Baptist Health Center (Enid, Okla.) — 13.6
St. Luke's Quakertown (Pa.) Hospital — 13.6
Black Hills Surgical Hospital (Rapid City, S.D.) — 13.6