South Baldwin Regional Medical Center has received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2024.

The CMS star ratings, released on July 31, evaluate hospitals nationwide based on 46 quality measures across five categories: safety of care; mortality; patient experience; readmission rates; and timely and effective care. This year, 381 hospitals in the United States received the coveted 5-star rating, a decrease from 2023 when 102 more hospitals earned the distinction.

In Alabama, three hospitals received the 5-star rating, including South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville and the VA Central Alabama Healthcare System in Montgomery. South Baldwin Regional Medical Center stands out as the only hospital in Baldwin County to achieve this rating.

In addition to the 5-star CMS rating, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center also received a 4-star rating on Medicare.gov's patient survey. This survey evaluates patients' experiences, focusing on critical aspects such as communication with nurses and doctors, staff responsiveness and the hospital's cleanliness and quietness.

The 5-star rating follows Margaret Roley, CEO of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, being named Becker's Healthcare as one of the "Women Hospital CEOs to Know" in April.

EXPANSION UPDATE

Accolades aside, the question on many people's minds is when will the highly anticipated $200 million expansion and modernization project be completed? We've all seen the progress over the past year and a half, so what's next?

In fact, one year ago in August 2023, Gulf Coast Media reported that "the last steel beam placed atop the structure was signed by employees, medical staff and volunteers and marked the facility reaching its highest point."

The project is nearing its conclusion, with the facility expected to open later this year, potentially ahead of schedule.

Construction for the project began in February 2023, aiming to address the needs of the rapidly growing South Baldwin County. The expansion will increase the facility's capacity to 142 beds, a boost for the 65-year-old hospital.

"Being the fastest-growing county, it requires us to meet those needs with this project and our volumes continues to grow over the last 10 years, and we expect that to continue over the next 10 years, and we're building the infrastructure for that," Roley said in a Gulf Coast Media article in February 2023.

With the expansion of the hospital, Foley officials are studying the creation of an overlay district in the area of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in the northern area of the city. Gulf Coast Media reported that Wayne Dyess, executive director of planning and infrastructure with the City of Foley, said the hospital's expansion was a good time to look at encouraging the development of medical facilities in the area.

While the hospital expansion is still not complete, Taylor Lewis, marketing director for South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, confirmed the construction is making great progress.

"Our construction is actually ahead of schedule, and we're planning to transition into the tower in late October," Lewis told Gulf Coast Media.