The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts periodic surveys to gauge adult patient satisfaction with their recent hospital stays at hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare plan enrollees. The CMS ratings methodology involves consolidating patient responses to questions about recent hospital stays into a single patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with five stars being the best score on the scale.  As of April 12, 2026, twenty-four hospitals in Wisconsin earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys, giving Wisconsin more CMS patient-rated five-star hospitals than any other state in the nation.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the 24 hospitals in Wisconsin that rated as five-stars for patient experience (listed alphabetically):

Wisconsin Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Amery Hospital & Clinic
   

   Location:  Amery

   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Black River Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Black River Falls
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center
   Location:  Prairie Du Chien
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Door County Medical Center
   Location:  Sturgeon Bay
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Froedtert Community Hospital
   Location:  New Berlin
   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Grant Regional Health Center
   Location:  Lancaster
   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Madison VA Medical Center
   Location:  Madison
   View Rating Details
   
   
8. Marshfield Medical Center - Minocqua
   Location:  Minocqua
   View Rating Details
   
   
9. Marshfield Medical Center - Park Falls (formerly Flambeau Hospital)
   Location:  Park Falls
   View Rating Details
   
   
10. Mayo Clinic Health System-Northland
    Location:  Barron
    View Rating Details
    
    
11. Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital
    Location:  Franklin
    View Rating Details
    
    
12. OakLeaf Surgical Hospital
    Location:  Altoona
    View Rating Details
    
    
13. Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin
    Location:  Glendale
    View Rating Details
    
    
14. Prairie Ridge Health (formerly Columbus Community Hospital)
    Location:  Columbus
    View Rating Details
    
    
15. River Falls Area Hospital
    Location:  River Falls
    View Rating Details
    
    
16. Sauk Prairie Hospital
    Location:  Prairie Du Sac
    View Rating Details
    
    
17. Southwest Health Center
    Location:  Platteville
    View Rating Details
    
    
18. Stoughton Hospital
    Location:  Stoughton
    View Rating Details
    
    
19. Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center
    Location: Ashland
    View Rating Details
    
    
20. Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center
    Location: Hayward
    View Rating Details
    
    
21. Tomah Memorial Hospital
    Location: Tomah
    View Rating Details
    
    
22. Upland Hills Health
    Location: Dodgeville
    View Rating Details
    
    
23. Vernon Memorial Hospital
    Location: Viroqua
    View Rating Details
    
    
24. Westfields Hospital and Clinic
    Location: New Richmond
    View Rating Details
    

The CMS also examines the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Wisconsin hospitals rate high for quality, check out CMS Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Wisconsin.

Recently published May 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there were over 1,310,000 nursing assistants employed in the USA.  Approximately 136,000 of those nursing assistant jobs were in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country. Although Minnesota ranked in the top 15 nationally for nursing assistant pay, the BLS data shows the Great Plains region to be a relatively weak one for nursing assistant pay, with annual mean wage levels in five of the remaining six states in the region falling below the national average for nursing assistants.  BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Great Plains region of the U.S.:

Nursing Assistant Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	22,970	$35,120	27th
KS	23,950	$33,490	34th
MN	26,970	$42,480	12th
MO	32,650	$32,760	41st
NE	16,490	$35,020	26th
ND	6,920	$38,200	21st
SD	6,520	$32,330	37th
U.S.	1,338,510	$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 April, 3, 2026

Patient surveys conducted by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) aim to gauge user satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The CMS survey solicits feedback from recent patients about their inpatient stays, then aggregates those responses into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's best score.  Based on the most current CMS patient surveys, only three Utah hospitals earned a five-star rating from patients.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals in Utah that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of March 30, 2026):

Utah Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Cache Valley Hospital
   Location:  North Logan
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Cedar City Hospital
   Location:  Cedar City
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Intermountain Health Heber Valley Hospital
   Location:  Heber City
   View Rating Details
   

The CMS also rates the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  While only three Utah hospitals rated five-stars with patients, nine earned five-star ratings for quality from the CMS.  For a look at which Utah hospitals rate high for quality, check out Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Utah.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most current occupational employment estimates put the number of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists at work in the United States at more than 41,000 as of May 2024.  At that time, the five-state Rocky Mountain region had an estimated 1,320 working MRI technologists according to BLS figures.  In general, the Rocky Mountain region was a good one for MRI technologist pay, as nearly 84% of the region's MRI technologists lived in a state that recorded an annual mean wage level for the profession that was higher than the national average.  A closer examination of May 2024 BLS data provides the following state-level details about MRI technologist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

MRI Technologist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	690	$97,790	16th
ID	120	$100,00	12th
MT	120	$83,830	30th
UT	310	$91,740	22nd
WY	80	$85,850	28th
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 April 1, 2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts surveys from time-to-time to gauge adult patient satisfaction with their recent hospital stays at facilities that treat Medicaid and Medicare plan participants. The ratings methodology used by CMS involves amalgamating patient responses to questions about recent hospital stays into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with five stars being the highest score on the scale.  As of March 23, 2026, only three hospitals in the state of Washington earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys, and one of those is a veteran's hospital that is not available to the general public.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the only three state of Washington hospitals that rated as five-stars for patient experience (listed alphabetically):

Washington Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Jefferson Healthcare
   

   Location:  Port Townsend

   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Spokane VA Medical Center
   Location:  Spokane
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Tri-State Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Clarkston
   View Rating Details

The CMS also examines the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Washington hospitals rate high for quality, check out CMS Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Washington.

Periodic surveys conducted by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) are designed to measure patient satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid participants. The CMS survey solicits input from recent patients about their inpatient stays, then combines those responses into an all-encompassing patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's top score.  Based on the most current CMS patient surveys, twelve Kansas hospitals earned a five-star rating from patients.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals in Kansas that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of March 23, 2026):

Kansas Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Clay County Medical Center
   Location:  Clay Center
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute
   Location:  Leawood
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Kansas Heart Hospital
   Location:  Wichita
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Kansas Spine & Specialty Hospital
   Location:  Wichita
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Manhattan Surgical Hospital
   Location:  Manhattan
   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems
   Location:  Beloit
   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Chanute
   View Rating Details
   
   
8. Pratt Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Pratt
   View Rating Details
   
   
9. Republic County Hospital
   Location:  Belleville
   View Rating Details
   
   
10. Salina Surgical Hospital
    Location:  Salina
    View Rating Details
    
    
11. Summit Surgical
    Location:  Hutchinson
    View Rating Details
    
    
12. Wichita VA Medical Center
    Location:  Wichita
    View Rating Details
    

The CMS also rates the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Kansas hospitals rate high for quality, check out Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Kansas.

Periodically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts surveys to measure adult patient satisfaction with their recent inpatient stays at hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare plan enrollees. The ratings methodology used by CMS involves collecting patient responses to questions about their recent stays, then aggregating that information into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with five stars being the highest score.  As of March 21, 2026, only seven Indiana hospitals earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the seven Indiana hospitals that rated as five-stars for patient experience (listed alphabetically):

Indiana Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Bluffton Regional Medical Center

   Location:  Bluffton

   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Community Hospital of Bremen
   Location:  Bremen
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Franciscan Health Orthopedic Hospital Carmel
   Location:  Carmel
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Greene County General Hospital
   Location:  Linton
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. OrthoIndy Hospital
   

   Location:  Indianapolis

   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Unity Physicians Hospital
   Location:  Mishawaka

   View Rating Details
   
   
7. VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System
   Location:  Marion
   View Rating Details

The CMS also examines the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Indiana hospitals rate high for quality, check out CMS Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Indiana.

EMT Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

The most current occupational employment data made available by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that, as of May 2024, more than 41,560 Americans were working as EMTs (emergency medical technicians). The four-state Southwestern U.S. accounted for a bit more than 3,500 of those EMT. BLS data shows the Southwestern region to be a relatively weak one for EMT, with nearly every state in the region having an annual mean wage level for EMTs that was below the national average.  A closer look at May 2024 BLS data shows the following details about EMT in the Southwestern U.S.:

EMT and Paramedic Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	710	$95,170	19th
NM	110	$87,930	26th
OK	360	$82,880	33rd
TX	2,340	$88,150	25th
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 extracted on March 20, 2026

The most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on physical therapist (PT) employment put PT employment in the U.S. at just under 249,000 jobs as of May 2024.  The five-state Great Lakes region accounted for about 38,000 of those physical therapist jobs according to BLS data.  The Great Lakes region was a relatively weak one for physical therapist pay, with four states in the region having an annual mean wage level for physical therapists that was below the profession's national average of $99,913.  The exception to the subpar PT annual mean wage levels was Illinois, which ranked 6th in the nation for physical therapist annual mean wages.  More examination of BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following details about physical therapist pay in the Great Lakes region:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	10,390	$107,980	6th
IN	5,180	$98,320	28th
MI	7,800	$96,840	34th
OH	9,240	$99,500	22nd
WI	5,240	$99,340	25th
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 March 16, 2026

Periodic surveys done by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) are aimed at measuring patient satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid participants. The CMS survey solicits input from consumers about their recent inpatient hospital stays, then combines those responses into a  patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the top score.  Based on these patient surveys, 16 Minnesota hospitals earned a five-star rating from patients.  Listed alphabetically, here are the sixteen hospitals in Minnesota that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of March 11, 2026):

Minnesota Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Glacial Ridge Hospital
   Location:  Glenwood
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Glencoe Regional Health
   Location:  Glencoe
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Lake Region Healthcare
   Location:  Fergus Falls
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Lakeview Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Stillwater
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Mayo Clinic Fairmont
   Location:  Fairmont
   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Mayo Clinic New Prague
   Location:  New Prague
   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester
   Location:  Rochester
   View Rating Details
   
   
8. New Ulm Medical Center
   Location:  New Ulm
   View Rating Details
   
   
9. Northfield Hospital
   Location:  Northfield
   View Rating Details
   
   
10. Perham Health
    Location:  Perham
    View Rating Details
    
    
11. River's Edge Hospital & Clinic
    Location:  St. Peter
    View Rating Details
    
    
12. RiverView Hospital
    Location:  Crookston
    View Rating Details
    
    
13. Riverwood Healthcare Center
    Location:  Aitkin
    View Rating Details
    
    
14. St Josephs Area Health Services
    Location:  Park Rapids
    View Rating Details
    
    
15. Welia Health
    Location:  Mora
    View Rating Details
    
    
16. Windom Area Health
    Location:  Windom
    View Rating Details

The CMS also rates the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Minnesota hospitals rate high for quality, check out CMS Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Minnesota.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts periodic surveys to measure adult patient perspectives on recent inpatient stays at hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare plan participants. The methodology used by CMS involves gathering patient responses to questions about their recent stays, then consolidating that information into a single, all-encompassing patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with five stars being the best score.  As of March 9, 2026, only seven Virginia hospitals earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the seven Virginia hospitals that rated as five-stars for patient experience (listed alphabetically):

Virginia Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center
   

   Location:  Fort Belvoir

   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Buchanan General Hospital
   Location:  Grundy
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Carilion Giles Community Hospital 
   Location:  Pearisburg
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Bedford
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. LewisGale Hospital Pulaski
   

   Location:  Pulaski

   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Lonesome Pine Hospital
   Location:  Big Stone Gap

   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Salem VA Medical Center
   Location:  Salem
   View Rating Details

The CMS also examines the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  For a look at which Virginia hospitals rate high for quality, check out Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Virginia.

According to CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) analysis of quality of care metrics, seven (7) Massachusetts hospitals earned 5-star quality ratings. But delivering highly rated care doesn't necessarily translate into five-star patient ratings.  Designed to gauge patient satisfaction with hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, the CMS survey solicits feedback from consumers about recent inpatient hospital stays, then aggregates responses into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's top score.  From these patient surveys, only two Massachusetts hospitals earned a five-star patient survey rating.  And not a single 5-star quality rated hospital in the state made the five-star patient list.  Listed alphabetically, here are the two hospitals in Massachusetts that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of March 9, 2026):

Massachusetts Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Fairview Hospital
   Location:  Great Barrington
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Martha's Vineyard Hospital
   Location:  Oak Bluffs
   View Rating Details
   

There were more than 1,388,000 nursing assistants working in the USA according to May 2024 data released earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over 158,200 nursing assistants were employed in the six-state Far West region of the country.  Per BLS data, the Far West U.S. was the top region in the country for nursing assistant pay. Not only did all states in the region feature an annual mean wage for nursing assistants that topped the national average, but all six Far West states ranked among the top fifteen states nationally for nursing assistant pay. Moreover, four of the top five states nationally for nursing assistant annual mean wages were in the Far West region. A further examination of BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Far West U.S.:

Nursing Assistant Pay in the Far West U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	1,660	$48,550	4th
CA	102,380	$48,790	3rd
HI	4,620	$45,480	11th
NV	8,670	$44,360	15th
OR	12,800	$49,970	1st
WA	28,080	$49,960	2nd
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 March 4, 2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts regular surveys to ascertain adult patient perspectives on recent inpatient hospital stays at hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare participants. The methodology used by CMS involves collecting patient responses to questions about their recent hospital stays, then combining that information into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with the scale's top rating being five stars.  As of February 23, 2026, only six California hospitals earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys.  Among the six was Scripps Green Hospital (La Jolla), the only hospital in the state that also rated five-stars for quality in a separate CMS quality analysis.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the only six California hospitals that rated as five-stars for patient experience (alphabetically listed):

California Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Fresno Surgical Hospital
   Location:  Fresno
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Hoag Orthopedic Institute
   Location:  Irvine
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Mammoth Hospital
   Location:  Mammoth Lakes
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Scripps Green Hospital

   Location:  La Jolla

   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz
   Location:  Santa Cruz
   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Tahoe Forest Hospital
   Location:  Truckee
   View Rating Details

Periodic surveys conducted by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) are designed to gauge patient satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The CMS survey solicits feedback from consumers about their recent inpatient hospital stays, then aggregates those responses into an all-encompassing patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's top score.  From these patient surveys, only five Colorado hospitals earned a five-star patient survey rating.  This included one veteran's hospital - the Grand Junction VA Medical Center - that does not serve the general public.  Listed alphabetically, here are the only five hospitals in Colorado that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of February 23, 2026):

Colorado Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Animas Surgical Hospital
   Location:  Durango
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Grand Junction VA Medical Center
   Location:  Grand Junction
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. OrthoColorado Hospital
   Location:  Lakewood
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Southwest Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Cortez

   View Rating Details
   
   
5. CommonSpirit St Anthony Summit Hospital

   Location:  Frisco

   View Rating Details
   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts periodic surveys to gauge adult patient perspectives on recent inpatient hospital stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The methodology used by CMS involves collecting patient responses to questions about their recent hospital stays, then combining that information into a single, all-encompassing patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with five stars being the top score on the scale.  As of February 7, 2026, only four Arizona hospitals earned five-stars on CMS patient surveys.  This includes two hospitals in the state that were also rated five-stars for the quality-of-care in a separate CMS quality analysis.  From CMS patient satisfaction surveys, here are the four Arizona hospitals that rated as five-stars for patient experience (alphabetically listed):

Arizona Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Arizona Orthopedic and Surgical Specialty Hospital
   Location:  Phoenix
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital
   Location:  Mesa
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Mayo Clinic Hospital
   Location:  Phoenix
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Western Regional Medical Center (renamed City of Hope Phoenix)

   Location:  Goodyear

   View Rating Details
   
   

Periodic surveys conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aim to measure consumer satisfaction with recent inpatient stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The CMS survey poses questions to consumers about their recent inpatient hospital stays, then consolidates those responses into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's highest score.  From these patient surveys, only nine Ohio hospitals earned a five-star patient survey rating.  This included one military hospital - the 88th Medical Group at Wright-Patterson AFB - that does not serve the general public.  Three Ohio hospitals that earned 5 stars from patients - Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center (Akron), Holzer Medical Center (Jackson), and Mercy Allen Hospital (Oberlin) -  also rated as a Five-Star Quality Hospital in separate quality-of-care studies run by the CMS.  Here, listed alphabetically, are the nine hospitals in Ohio that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of February 7, 2026):

Ohio Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. 88th Medical Group
   Location:  Wright-Patterson AFB
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center
   Location:  Akron
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Holzer Medical Center Jackson
   
   Location:  Jackson
   View Rating Details
   
   
4. Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery
   Location:  Lima

   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Kettering Health Greene Memorial

   Location:  Xenia

   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Mercy Allen Hospital
   Location:  Oberlin
   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Promedica Defiance Regional Hospital
   Location:  Defiance
   View Rating Details
   
   
8. Selby General Hospital
   Location:  Marietta
   View Rating Details
   
   
9. Surgical Hospital at Southwoods
   Location:  Youngstown
   View Rating Details

More than 41,500 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists were working in the U.S. as of May 2024 according to the latest occupational employment numbers available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  The four-state Southwestern region accounted for an estimated 3,520 MRI technologist jobs at that time, or about 8% of the national total.  BLS data revealed the Southwestern U.S. to be a modestly better than average one for MRI technologist pay, with about 20% of the region's MRI technologists working in a state where the annual mean wage for the profession was above the national average.  A closer study of May 2024 state-level BLS statistical data provides the following about MRI technologist pay in the Southwestern U.S. region:

MRI Technologist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	710	$95,170	19th
NM	110	$87,930	26th
OK	360	$82,880	33rd
TX	2,340	$88,150	25th
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 February, 18, 2026

EMT Pay in the Southeast

May 2024 data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that more than 178,010 Americans were employed as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The twelve-state Southeast region accounted for just over 43,100 of those EMT jobs. In general, the Southeast is the weakest region in the country for EMT pay with only one state, Virginia, having an annual mean wage above the national average for EMTs. Moreover, six states in the Southeast ranked in the bottom quintile nationally for EMT annual mean wages. According to May 2024 BLS data, emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic pay in the Southeast looked as follows:

EMT Pay in the Southeast

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	2420	$37,680	44th
AR	1230	$35,650	47th
FL	6770	$43,380	23rd
GA	5740	$40,720	33rd
KY	3190	$37,960	43rd
LA	2290	$34,940	51st
MS	1300	$35,380	49th
NC	7540	$43,140	24th
SC	4270	$39,840	37th
TN	3420	$40,090	36th
VA	3780	$44,740	21st
WV	1150	$35,430	48th
U.S.	257,700	$40,370	-------

(*) 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 17, 2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts market surveys to measure patient satisfaction with recent inpatient stays at hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare participants.  The CMS methodology poses questions to individuals about their recent inpatient hospital stays at participating hospitals, then organizes that information into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a one to five-star scale, with 5 stars being the top score.  Eleven Pennsylvania hospitals carry a five-star CMS patient survey rating, including three VA hospital that don't typically serve the general public.  Except for two of the VA hospitals, no hospitals in the state that earned five-stars patient ratings also rated as a Five-Star Quality Hospital in separate quality-of-care studies conducted by the CMS.  Based on patient surveys, here listed alphabetically are the eleven hospitals in Pennsylvania that carry five-stars in CMS patient surveys:

Pennsylvania Hospitals with Five-Star CMS Patient Survey Ratings

1. Advanced Surgical Hospital
   Location:  Washington
   View Rating Details
   
   
2. Geisinger Medical Center Muncy
   Location:  Muncy
   View Rating Details
   
   
3. Lebanon VA Medical Center

   Location:  Lebanon

   View Rating Details
   
   
4. OSS Orthopaedic Hospital
   Location:  York
   View Rating Details
   
   
5. Physicians Care Surgical Hospital
   Location:  Royersford
   View Rating Details
   
   
6. Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital
   Location:  Bensalem
   View Rating Details
   
   
7. Surgical Institute of Reading
   Location:  Wyomissing
   View Rating Details
   
   
8. Troy Community Hospital
   Location:  Troy
   View Rating Details
   
   
9. UPMC Muncy
   Location:  Muncy
   View Rating Details
   
   
10. Van Zandt VA Medical Center
    Location:  Altoona
    View Rating Details
    
    
11. Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center
    Location:  Wilkes Barre
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Physical Therapist Pay in New England

There were nearly 249,000 physical therapists (PTs) employed in the United States as of May 2024 according to data released earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  More than 16,000 of those employed as physical therapists in the U.S. lived in the six-state New England region of the country.  Except for Connecticut and Massachusetts, New England was not a good region for physical therapist pay. Whereas Connecticut and Massachusetts ranked among the fifteen best states in the nation for PT annual mean wages, the other five states in the region all had physical therapist annual mean wage levels that were below the national average. In fact, two New England states ranked among the ten worst states in the nation for PT annual mean wages. A closer look at BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following details about physical therapist pay in New England:

Physical Therapist Pay in New England

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CT	4,310	$102,420	15th
MA	6,600	$104,130	12th
ME	1,780	$92,780	47th
NH	1,610	$93,750	43rd
RI	1,420	$98,190	29th
VT	690	$94,060	42nd
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 February 16, 2026

Patient surveys conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aim to gauge customer satisfaction with recent inpatient stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid participants. The CMS survey asks questions about recent inpatient hospital stays, then standardizes responses into an all-encompassing patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the high score on the scale.  Only six Michigan hospitals earned a five-star patient survey rating.  This included one VA hospital - VA Ann Arbor Healthcare - that customarily does not serve the general public.  Other than the VA hospital, none of the five-star Michigan hospitals in the eyes of patients also rated as a Five-Star Quality Hospital in separate CMS quality-of-care studies.  Here, listed alphabetically, are the six hospitals in Michigan that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of February 4, 2026):

Michigan Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Bronson Lakeview Hospital
   Location:  Paw Paw
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2. Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus / Trinity Health Shelby
   Location:  Shelby
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3. Mymichigan Medical Center Gladwin
   
   Location:  Gladwin
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4. Sparrow Carson Hospital / UM Health-Sparrow
   Location:  Carson City

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5. UP Health System Portage

   Location:  Hancock

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6. VA Ann Arbor Healthcare
   Location:  Ann Arbor
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