Facility Information

📋 Quick Reference

  • Hospital Type: Critical Access Hospitals
  • Ownership: Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Address: 194 E Main Street, Fort Kent, ME 4743
  • County: Aroostook County
  • Phone: (207) 834-3195
  • Emergency Services: Yes
  • Birth-Friendly Designation: Not designated

Northern Maine Medical Center 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 Northern Maine Medical Center 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 126 completed surveys from Northern Maine Medical Center patients for the 2024 reporting period.

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

Timely Care Score: 200.9 (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.

Outpatient Surgery Patient Experience

Based on surveys collected from patients who had outpatient surgery or procedures here, this section shows the percentages of patients who reported highly positive experiences:

  • Facility Cleanliness & Respect: 97% of patients reported the facility was clean and the staff were helpful and respectful.
  • Procedure Communication: 90% of patients felt the staff explained their surgical procedure clearly.
  • Discharge Preparation: 97% of patients received clear instructions on how to handle recovery at home.
  • High Patient Rating: 80% of patients gave the outpatient department a rating of 9 or 10 out of 10.
  • Willingness to Recommend: 74% of patients would definitely recommend this outpatient department to others.

Inpatient Psychiatric Care Quality

For patients receiving inpatient psychiatric care, Medicare monitors safety indicators to ensure quality treatment:

  • 30-Day Readmission Rate: 15.9% of patients were readmitted to a psychiatric facility within 30 days of discharge.
  • Metabolic Screening Rate: 100% of patients on antipsychotic medications received screening for metabolic issues.
  • Physical Restraints: Physical restraints were used for an average of 0.02 hours per 1,000 patient care hours.
  • Seclusion Room: Seclusion rooms were used for an average of 0.13 hours per 1,000 patient care hours.

FAQs

Q. What is the safety grade of NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER?
NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER 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 NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER designated as Birth-Friendly?
No, NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER 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 NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER compared to the national average?
Medicare spending and billing cost data is not available for NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER in the current CMS release.
Q. What do patient surveys say about outpatient surgery at NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER?
Based on official patient experience surveys, 74% of outpatient surgical patients would definitely recommend NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER to others. Additionally, 97% reported that the outpatient department was clean and the staff were helpful and respectful.
Q. Does NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER offer emergency services?
Yes, NORTHERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER 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.