Lower Keys Medical Center Maintains CMS 4 Star Quality Rating

6/29/2026

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its 2026 Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, and for the second year in a row, Lower Keys Medical Center received an “above average” CMS 4 Star Rating. The CMS Star Ratings consider 52 quality measures related to mortality, safety of care, readmission patient experience, and timely and effective care and are publicly reported on the CMS CareCompare site – https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/.

The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings were first published in July 2016 to provide consumers and their healthcare teams with consistent comparison among hospitals, enabling them to make decisions about their care. Lower Keys Medical Center is one of less than 1,000 hospitals, or 30% of all hospitals, receiving 4 stars out of 5 possible.

Drew Bigby, chief executive officer at Lower Keys Medical Center, credits the care teams at the hospital for consistently and vigilantly following best practices, collaborating with physicians and nursing leaders, and providing continuing education and training.

“We are focused every day on delivering safe, quality care to our patients. Our teams prioritize patient experience and seek input from our patients, their families, our community, and each other on how to continuously improve outcomes and communication. We also follow strict protocols to identify patients at risk for or experiencing infections. We are pleased to maintain our 4 Star rating from CMS,” said Bigby.

According to CMS, the CareCompare site provides quality measure information including:

• Process of care measures that show whether or not a health care provider gives recommended care based on guidelines, standards of care or practice parameters – the treatment known to give the best results for most patients with a particular condition.
• Outcome measures reflecting the results of care.
• Patient experience of care as measured by a national, standardized survey of hospital patients about their experiences during a recent inpatient hospital stay.
• Imaging efficiency patterns, care transitions, emergency department-throughput efficiency, care coordination, and patient safety.

Back