Facility Information

📋 Quick Reference

  • Hospital Type: Critical Access Hospitals
  • Ownership: Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Address: 711 W Adams St, Black River Falls, WI 54615
  • County: Jackson County
  • Phone: (715) 284-5361
  • Emergency Services: Yes
  • Birth-Friendly Designation: Not designated

Black River Memorial Hospital scores in the average range with a SafeHospitals USA Safety Score of 5.5/10 (Grade C — Average). The 2024 CMS data shows mixed results: some measures meet or exceed national standards, while others fall short. Patients should ask specific questions about infection control and readmission rates before admission.

How Black River Memorial Hospital Compares Nationally

Using the 2024 CMS Hospital Compare dataset — the federal government's official source for hospital quality — we analyzed performance across five quality measures. Here is what the data shows for this facility:

0 Better / 0 Worse
Mortality Measures
0 Better / 0 Worse
Safety Measures
0 Better / 0 Worse
Readmission Rates

Patient Experience & Survey Data

Patient experience surveys (HCAHPS) ask discharged patients about their hospital stay — communication with nurses and doctors, responsiveness of staff, cleanliness, and overall rating. CMS collected 115 completed surveys from Black River Memorial Hospital patients for the 2024 reporting period.

Survey Rating: ★★★★★ Patient Experience (5.0/5)

Timely Care Score: 105.9 (national average: ~80.0)

This facility's timely care score exceeds the national benchmark, indicating patients are seen and treated promptly — a meaningful indicator for emergency and urgent care situations.

Infection Control Performance

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are among the most preventable patient safety risks. CMS tracks six HAI measures including central line infections, catheter-related urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and C. difficile rates. This facility has 0 HAI measures performing better than the national benchmark.

This facility does not currently outperform HAI benchmarks in the 2024 CMS dataset. This is a important concern for patients scheduled for surgery, catheter procedures, or extended ICU stays. Ask your care team about infection prevention protocols.

Recovery & Hospital Return Days

This section shows whether discharged patients spent extra days back in the hospital within 30 days of leaving, compared to the national average. Fewer days indicate a safer discharge process and a better recovery at home:

  • Heart Failure Patients: Patients spent average of 16.4 extra days in the hospital after discharge (worse than average).

FAQs

Q. What is the safety grade of BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL?
BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL has a SafeHospitals USA safety grade of C with a safety score of 5.5/10, based on federal CMS quality data. This grade is calculated from hospital safety indicators, infection control performance, and mortality measures.
Q. Is BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL designated as Birth-Friendly?
No, BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL is not currently designated as Birth-Friendly by Medicare, and maternal quality data is not available for this facility.
Q. How expensive is care at BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL compared to the national average?
Medicare spending and billing cost data is not available for BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL in the current CMS release.
Q. What do patient surveys say about outpatient surgery at BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL?
Patient experience survey ratings for outpatient surgery are not available for BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL in the current reporting period.
Q. Does BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL offer emergency services?
Yes, BLACK RIVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL provides emergency services. They are equipped to handle 24/7 urgent and emergency medical needs.

About Our Scoring Methodology

Our SafeHospitals USA Safety Score is calculated from the official CMS Hospital Compare dataset using a weighted composite of: hospital-acquired infection rates (HAI, 30% weight), patient safety indicator measures (25%), mortality measure outcomes (20%), 30-day readmission rates (15%), and patient experience survey scores (10%). Scores range from 0–10 and are normalized against the national distribution of all Medicare-certified facilities.

Scores are recalculated annually when CMS releases updated Hospital Compare data. The current scores reflect the 2024 CMS data release, last verified by our data team on March 15, 2026.