North Carolina Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings
- Asheville VA Medical Center
Location: Asheville
View Rating Details - Location: Siler City
There were over 1,388,000 nursing assistants employed in the USA according to recently published May 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Approximately 226,000 of those employed as nursing assistants lived in the five-state Great Lakes region of the country. Annual mean wages for nursing assistants in the region ran slightly below the national average, except in Illinois and Wisconsin. BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Great Lakes region of the U.S.:
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Nursing Assistant Pay in the Great Lakes Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| IL | 64,660 | $43,950 | 16th |
| IN | 31,240 | $38,610 | 33rd |
| MI | 40,230 | $40,210 | 28th |
| OH | 62,360 | $39,840 | 31st |
| WI | 27,480 | $43,050 | 20th |
| U.S. | 1,388,510 | $41,173 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on February 3, 2026
An estimated 41,560 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists were working in the U.S. as of May 2024 according to the most recent occupational employment figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The six-state Far Western U.S. accounted for nearly 5,200 MRI technologist jobs at that time, or about 13% of the national total. BLS data revealed the Far West to be far and away the best region in the nation for MRI technologist pay, as nearly every state in the region ranked among the top six states in the country for MRI technologist annual mean wages. Further examination of May 2024 state-level BLS data provides the following details about MRI technologist pay in the Far Western U.S.:
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MRI Technologist Pay in the Far Western U.S. |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| AK | 80 | $106,890 | 6th |
| CA | 3,220 | $118,470 | 1st |
| HI | 130 | $113,150 | 3rd |
| NV | 410 | $96,550 | 17th |
| OR | 430 | $111,350 | 4th |
| WA | 930 | $113,750 | 2nd |
| U.S. | 41,560 | $89,999 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on January 30, 2026
The latest occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported there being nearly 249,000 physical therapy (PT) assistants at work in the United States as of May 2024. Only about 10,670 of those PT assistants worked in the five-state Rocky Mountain region. According to BLS data, the region stands out as one of the most uneven nationally for physical therapy assistant pay. While two states in the region had an annual mean wage for PT assistants that beat the national average, two other Rocky Mountain states ranked among the ten lowest nationwide. Diving deeper into BLS data from May 2024 produces the following details about physical therapy assistant pay in the Rocky Mountain region:
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| Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| CO | 5430 | $100,430 | 20th |
| ID | 1170 | $93,470 | 45th |
| MT | 1230 | $91,290 | 49th |
| UT | 2330 | $96,920 | 33rd |
| WY | 510 | $100,100 | 21st |
| U.S. | 248,620 | $99,913 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 29, 2026
Over 1,388,000 nursing assistants were employed in the U.S. as of May 2024 according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Approximately 128,860 employed nursing assistants lived in the four-state Southwestern region of the country. Generally speaking, the region is a poor one for nursing assistant pay, with three states in the region having a nursing assistant annual mean wage level that was below the national average. This included two states, Oklahoma and Texas, that ranked among the ten worst states in the nation for nursing assistant annual mean wages. A closer look at BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Southwestern U.S.:
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Nursing Assistant Pay in the Southwestern U.S. |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| AZ | 17,350 | $43,060 | 19th |
| NM | 4,600 | $38,320 | 36th |
| OK | 19,860 | $34,900 | 47th |
| TX | 87,050 | $37,010 | 44th |
| U.S. | 1,388,510 | $41,173 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January, 28, 2026
The 25-26 U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals rated more than 1,000 hospitals for their effectiveness in delivering rehabilitation services to individuals recovering from severe afflictions. The study analyzed hospitals on various metrics, ranging from the medical outcomes for their rehabilitation patients to the scope of their rehabilitation programs to the amount of professional recognition attained by a hospital from within the rehabilitation services community. Although no hospitals in the region ranked among the top 10 nationally, nine hospitals rated among the 50 best U.S. hospitals for rehabilitation care in the 25-26 survey. The Southeast's top rehabilitation hospitals, and where they ranked nationally for rehabilitation care in the 25-26 U.S. News survey, were:
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The Southeast's Top Rehabilitation Hospitals |
The 25-26 U.S. News & World Report hospital survey ranked in excess of 1,000 hospitals for their capabilities in delivering rehabilitation care to individuals recovering from severe injuries or illnesses. The survey graded hospitals on various metrics ranging from rehabilitation care patient outcomes to the scale of a hospital's rehabilitation services to the level of recognition garnered by a hospital within the rehabilitation services community. The Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that includes five states and the District of Columbia, was home to twelve hospitals that rated among the 50 best U.S. hospitals for rehabilitation care in the 25-26 survey. No other region of the country had as many top 50 rehabilitation hospitals as did the Mid-Eastern U.S. This included four hospitals that ranked among the ten best hospitals in the U.S. for rehabilitation care. The top rehabilitation hospitals in the Mid-Eastern U.S., and where they ranked nationally in the 25-26 U.S. News survey, were:
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Top Rehabilitation Hospitals in the Mid-Eastern U.S |
The 25-26 U.S. News & World Report hospital survey ranked more than 1,000 hospitals for their capabilities in delivering rehabilitation services to patients recovering from severe illnesses or injuries. The survey ranked hospitals on various metrics related to the outcomes for their rehabilitation patients, the scale of their rehabilitation services, and the level of recognition garnered by a hospital from professionals within the rehabilitation care community. Nine hospitals in the six-state Far West U.S. were rated among the top 50 U.S. hospitals for rehabilitation care in the 25-26 survey, including the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, which was rated the seventh-best rehabilitation hospital in the nation. The top rehabilitation hospitals in the Far West, and where they ranked nationally in the 25-26 U.S. News survey, were:
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Top Rehabilitation Hospitals in the Far West |
The latest (25-26) U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals graded over 1,000 hospitals for their capabilities in delivering rehabilitation services to patients recovering from severe illnesses or injuries. The study graded these hospitals on multiple metrics related to the medical outcomes for their rehabilitation patients, the scale and scope of their rehabilitation programs, and the level of professional recognition a hospital received from the wider rehabilitation care community. Two hospitals in the five-state Rocky Mountain ranked among the 50 best U.S. hospitals for rehabilitation care in the 25-26 survey. The Rocky Mountain region's top rehabilitation hospitals, and where they ranked for rehabilitation care nationally in the 25-26 USNWR survey, were:
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The Rocky Mountain Region's Top Rehabilitation Hospitals |
The 25-26 U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals graded more than 1,000 hospitals for their capabilities to provide rehabilitation services to patients recovering from severe illnesses or injuries. The study graded hospitals on multiple metrics related to the outcomes for their rehabilitation patients, the scale of their rehabilitation programs, and the amount of recognition garnered by a hospital from within the rehabilitation care community. Only one hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, in the six-state New England region graded out as a top 50 rehabilitation hospital in the 25-26 U.S. News survey. That said, Spaulding is one of the preeminent rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, grading out in the survey as the 2nd best hospital in the country for rehabilitation care:
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New England's Top Rehabilitation Hospital |
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent occupational employment data reported over 40,000 optometrists at work in the U.S. as of May 2024. At that time, 920 optometrists were at work in the five-state Rocky Mountain region. BLS data shows the region to be a weak one for optometrist pay, with only one state in the region recording an annual mean wage level for optometrists that topped the national average. Moreover, three Rocky Mountain states rated in the bottom third of all states in the nation for that pay metric, including two that ranked among the ten worst in the nation for optometrist annual mean wage levels. Colorado’s 2024 optometrist employment and wage data were not available due to an issue in BLS reporting. A deeper examination of BLS data from May 2024 details the following about optometrist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:
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Optometrist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| CO | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ID | 270 | $88,350 | 49th |
| MT | 150 | $114,630 | 47th |
| UT | 90 | $120,880 | 45th |
| WY | 410 | $140,770 | 21st |
| U.S. | 40,900 | $137,190 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 2, 2026