Highlands Medical Center
56
HospitalObserver
Score
Score
Emergency Room
Median ER wait time
2h 50min
AL: 2h 27min · National: 2h 42min
→ Near national avg
Left before being seen
3%
AL: 2% · National: 2%
→ Near national avg
Head CT within 45 min
38%
AL: 65% · National: 69%
▼ Below national avg
ER volume
Low
ER score: 50.77/100
ER wait time comparison (minutes)
Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAI)
C. Difficile InfectionSIR score — lower is better.
0
✓ Better than national
Mortality & Complication Rates
Heart failure 30-day death rate
13.6
≈ No different
Pneumonia 30-day death rate
19
≈ No different
Stroke 30-day death rate
13.6
≈ No different
COPD 30-day death rate
9.6
≈ No different
Pressure ulcer rate
0.48
≈ No different
Postoperative sepsis rate
7.05
≈ No different
Patient Safety Composite (PSI-90)
1
≈ No different
Outcomes vs. National Average
CMS compares this hospital to national benchmarks across multiple measures.
Mortality (death rate) measuresTracks whether patients die within 30 days of treatment here vs. similar patients nationally
0 better than national0 worse than national
Safety measuresTracks hospital-acquired conditions and complications compared to national rates
0 better than national0 worse than national
Readmission measuresTracks patients who return to any hospital within 30 days of discharge
0 better than national0 worse than national
Medicare Spending per Patient
0.94
ratio vs. national avg of 1.00
▼ Spends less than national avg per patient
A ratio below 1.00 means this hospital costs Medicare less than the national average for similar patients.
Birthing Friendly — CMS Designated
This hospital has met CMS criteria for the Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation — indicating it has implemented evidence-based care practices to improve maternal outcomes and patient safety during childbirth.
C-Section rateLower rates generally indicate less surgical intervention when natural birth is possible
Not reported
Facility Information
| Hospital type | Acute Care Hospitals |
| Ownership | Government - Hospital District or Authority |
| Emergency room | Yes, 24/7 |
| Birthing friendly | Yes — CMS designated |
| County | Jackson County, Alabama |
| Address | 380 Woods Cove Road, Scottsboro, AL 35768 |
| Phone | (256) 259-4444 |
| CMS Facility ID | 010061 |
| Data source | CMS Hospital Compare, January 2026 |