Index insights
What 49,041 organizations' quality data actually says.
Findings computed across the whole Index — every number regenerable from the named federal files, with the caveats stated. Computed 2026-06-12.
For people choosing care
148 min
median ER visit time at US hospitals
ER waits, state by state
+70%
more RN time per resident at 5-star homes vs 1-star
The staffing gradient
78% vs 69%
would definitely recommend: critical-access vs acute hospitals
The rural experience advantage
For quality & industry leaders
40 pts
spread between the 10th and 90th percentile of hospitals
The sepsis-care spread
74%
of US dialysis facilities run by two companies
The dialysis duopoly
45% vs 25%
share rated 1–2 stars: for-profit vs non-profit homes
Nursing-home ownership & chains
4.21%
identical median savings rate — ACOs with and without FQHCs
Safety-net ACOs hold their own
64% vs 59%
visits in last days of life: non-profit vs for-profit (median)
Hospice: ownership patterns
The pattern behind every finding
Structure isn't destiny. Operations are.
Across EHR vendors, hospital protocols, nursing-home chains, and dialysis operators, the same result repeats: the spread within every category dwarfs the gap between categories. Execution separates organizations — and execution is improvable.