MRMC earns CMS’ highest Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating in the 2026 cycle.
by Tiffany Foltyn
As someone whose heart has always belonged to Matagorda County, I’ve spent much of my life celebrating, promoting, preserving, and cheering on this special place we call home. That’s why I’m honored to share some incredible news: Matagorda Regional Medical Center has earned the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) highest Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating! This recognition fills me with so much pride—not only for our hospital, but for our entire community.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2026 Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings this month*. Of the 3,203 hospitals that received a rating, only 384 earned five stars. MRMC is one of them, which places our local hospital among the top 12% of rated hospitals in the entire nation.
What “5 Stars” means:
CMS is the federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid for more than 65 million Americans. Their Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating is not a survey, it’s not a popularity vote, and it’s not a local recognition program. It’s a rigorous review that pulls together performance data across five independent quality domains that determine
• how often patients survive serious illness,
• how safely care is delivered,
• how frequently patients return to the hospital after discharge,
• how patients describe their experience, and
• how quickly and effectively care is provided.
Earning five stars means MRMC’s overall performance across these domains placed it in CMS’ highest rating category.
Why we’re so excited:
We’re excited that the quality initiatives we’ve been working on have created positive outcomes for our patients, and we’re proud to be one of only 29 hospitals in Texas to earn a 5-Star rating. For a community hospital serving a rural Texas county, that’s a pretty big deal!
What it means for you, your family, and our community:
We know the health of our community depends on both the quality of care we provide locally and on the partnerships we maintain with leading health systems in the Houston area. That network is part of how we serve you. This five-star rating is confirmation that when your care belongs here, you’re in good hands. When it doesn’t, we’ll help you get to the right place, and when you’re back home, we’ll be here for whatever comes next.
That matters for the families and businesses that anchor this county, and for anyone deciding where to put down roots, build a career, or raise their children. Having a five-star hospital in our backyard says something meaningful about the place we call home.
The people behind the rating:
This 5-Star success story belongs to our people. It belongs to all our staff and providers who show up to give it their best every single day. It also belongs to this community, and to those who have continuously supported their local hospital throughout the years.
In the coming weeks, you’ll see social media posts, celebrations, and some really cool 5-Star t-shirts being worn by proud members of our team. This is Matagorda County’s moment, and we’re so glad to share it with you. On behalf of our senior leadership team and the Board of Managers, thank you for trusting us with your care, and we look forward to being the hospital this community counts on for many years to come.
* CMS data retrieved from data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/xubh-q36u on May 27, 2026.
