Facility Information

📋 Quick Reference

  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals
  • Ownership: Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Address: 50 Medical Park East Drive, Birmingham, AL 35235
  • County: Jefferson County
  • Phone: (205) 838-3122
  • Emergency Services: Yes
  • Birth-Friendly Designation: Not designated

St. Vincent'S East receives a SafeHospitals USA Safety Score of 4.2/10 (Grade D — Below Average). The 2024 CMS data indicates this facility falls below the national average in several areas. While this hospital may still be appropriate for certain care types, patients with planned procedures should consider the data carefully and ask their physician about alternatives.

How St. Vincent'S East 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 / 1 Worse
Mortality Measures
3 Better / 0 Worse
Safety Measures
0 Better / 1 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 390 completed surveys from St. Vincent'S East patients for the 2024 reporting period.

Survey Rating: ★★★☆☆ Patient Experience (3.0/5)

Timely Care Score: 114.9 (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 12 HAI measures performing better than the national benchmark.

This represents strong infection control performance. Facilities that consistently outperform HAI benchmarks typically maintain rigorous hand hygiene protocols, antimicrobial stewardship programs, and environmental disinfection standards.

Medicare Billing Cost & Spending

Medicare spends an average of $23,870 per patient episode here, compared to the national average cost of $27,477.

✓ This hospital spends 13.1% less than the national average, making it cost-efficient for Medicare services.

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 21.2 extra days in the hospital after discharge (worse than average).
  • Pneumonia Patients: Patients spent average of 18.1 extra days in the hospital after discharge (worse than average).
  • Heart Attack Patients: Patients spent average of 23.6 fewer days in the hospital after discharge (better than average).

Inpatient Psychiatric Care Quality

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

  • 30-Day Readmission Rate: 20.4% of patients were readmitted to a psychiatric facility within 30 days of discharge.
  • Metabolic Screening Rate: 40% of patients on antipsychotic medications received screening for metabolic issues.

FAQs

Q. What is the safety grade of ST. VINCENT'S EAST?
ST. VINCENT'S EAST has a SafeHospitals USA safety grade of D with a safety score of 4.2/10, based on federal CMS quality data. This grade is calculated from hospital safety indicators, infection control performance, and mortality measures.
Q. Is ST. VINCENT'S EAST designated as Birth-Friendly?
No, ST. VINCENT'S EAST 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 ST. VINCENT'S EAST compared to the national average?
Medicare spends an average of $23,870 per patient episode at ST. VINCENT'S EAST, compared to the national average of $27,477. This means the hospital's billing cost is 13.1% less than the national average.
Q. What do patient surveys say about outpatient surgery at ST. VINCENT'S EAST?
Patient experience survey ratings for outpatient surgery are not available for ST. VINCENT'S EAST in the current reporting period.
Q. Does ST. VINCENT'S EAST offer emergency services?
Yes, ST. VINCENT'S EAST 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.