United States – Nov. 13, 2026 – Coates & Johnson PLLC has released a new analysis of hospital complication and death rates by state, examining 20 quality-of-care measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Conducted in partnership with data visualization firm 1Point21 Interactive, the study compared the share of each state’s hospitals rated better or worse than national benchmarks. Most hospitals were rated about the same as the national rate, but Mississippi posted a negative net balance on every mortality measure.
Key Findings
Mississippi was the only state with a negative net balance on every mortality measure, including -24.24 percentage points on pneumonia mortality.
Massachusetts had a positive balance on all major mortality measures, led by pneumonia (+35.71) and heart failure (+29.09).
Pneumonia recorded the highest national 30-day death rate at 15.2%, followed by heart attack and stroke at 11.9% each.
Pressure ulcers had the highest share of underperforming hospitals, with 5.69% (181 hospitals) rated worse than the national rate.
On the PSI-90 patient safety composite, 30 states had a negative net balance and six had a positive one.
New Mexico recorded a net -18.52 on PSI-90, among the most negative in the country, and -9.09 on stroke mortality.
“The encouraging news is that the large majority of hospitals land right around the national benchmark,” said a Senior Research Analyst with 1Point21 Interactive. “What stands out is where the outliers cluster. When a state has more hospitals rated worse than better on measure after measure, that points to something broader than a single facility.”
Why This Matters for Patient Safety
The findings indicate that hospital performance is not evenly distributed. Massachusetts and New York had more hospitals beating national mortality benchmarks than falling short, while Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Virginia showed the opposite pattern on pneumonia.
The study cautions that these comparisons are one source of information, not a definitive assessment of any hospital. Still, publicly reported CMS ratings give patients and families a starting point for asking questions, and show administrators and policymakers where improvement may be most needed.
Methodology
The analysis used two CMS Care Compare datasets: national benchmarks for 20 measures and state-level counts of hospitals rated better than, the same as, or worse than those benchmarks. Net performance was calculated as the share of a state’s hospitals rated better than national minus the share rated worse. Measurement periods ranged from 24 to 39 months depending on the measure. CMS results are risk-adjusted, and hospitals with too few cases were excluded.
About Coates & Johnson PLLC
Coates & Johnson PLLC represents patients and families in Las Cruces, New Mexico medical malpractice cases. Attorney Greig Coates, M.D., J.D., is both a physician and a trial lawyer who has represented malpractice victims for more than 30 years. If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical negligence, contact Coates & Johnson PLLC at (575) 449-3143 or visit cjmedmalattorneys.com for a free consultation.
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