Best WV Hospitals in 2017, According to U.S. News & Google Reviews
Best Hospital in West Virginia, According to U.S. News
The Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) is now West Virginia’s best 
hospital, according to U.S. News Best Hospitals. As we stated in a previous article, West Virginia University Hospitals previously topped the rankings as the best hospital in West Virginia and held that title for the past four years. However, WVU Hospitals dropped to a second place tie with Mon General Hospital in 2017, according to U.S. News Best Hospitals.
CAMC performed nearly at the level of nationally ranked hospitals in 6 adult specialties, including those listed below, said U.S. News. CAMC scored high in patient safety, demonstrating commitment to reducing accidents and medical mistakes. CAMC is also a teaching hospital accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
Top Four Hospitals in West Virginia, According to U.S. News
West Virginia has close to 70 hospitals. Only the four below meet the high U.S. News standards:
#1 Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC)
Charleston Area Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital located in Charleston, West Virginia. No other hospital in Charleston achieved the same high U.S. News Standards. CAMC is made up of four hospitals: CAMC General Hospital, CAMC Memorial Hospital, CAMC Teays Valley Hospital and CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital.
CAMC achieved High Performance Ratings in 10 adult specialties, procedures or conditions, including the following: Diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & gi surgery, nephrology, pulmonology, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, and heart failure, according to U.S. News.
#2 (Tied) West Virginia University Hospitals’ Ruby Memorial
WVU Hospitals’ Ruby Memorial dropped from the top of the rankings to a second place tie with Mon General. Ruby Memorial is a 
general medical and surgical hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. WVU Hospitals achieved High Performance Ratings in 5 adult specialties, procedures or conditions, including the following: urology, COPD, heart failure, hip replacement, and knee replacement, according to U.S. News.
#2 (Tied) Mon General Hospital
Mon General Hospital is a general medical and surgical hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. Mon General achieved High Performance Ratings in 5 adult specialties, procedures or conditions, including the following: COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, and knee replacement, according to U.S. News.
Mon General and Ruby Memorial achieved high performance ratings in four of the same adult specialties — COPD, heart failure, hip replacement and knee replacement. However, Mon General also achieved a high rating for colon cancer surgery, and Ruby Memorial achieved a high rating for urology. So, if you have one of these two conditions, you may want to consider choosing the hospital that achieved the highest rating for that condition.
#4 St. Mary’s Medical Center
St. Mary’s Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital in Huntington, West Virginia. St. Mary’s achieved High Performance Ratings in 4 procedures or conditions, including: COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart failure and hip replacement.
The U.S. News Best Hospitals 2017 Rankings — Most Important for High Risk Patients
U.S. News analyzed nearly 5,000 medical centers for its Best Hospitals rankings. The rankings are based on a variety of factors including patient safety and nurse staffing. U.S. News ranks Hospitals nationally in specialties and regionally in states and major metro areas.
However, just because a hospital did not make U.S. News’ top rankings, doesn’t mean you won’t get good medical care there, according to U.S. News. Also, these are overall rankings. Some hospitals might be better for one specialty compared to another hospital with a higher overall rating. This is especially important to consider if you are seeking medical treatment for a condition that requires a specialist.
The U.S. News rating system is just one factor to consider and is designed especially to help guide patients whose care poses a challenge because their surgery or other treatment may be especially complex, or because their risk may be heightened due to advanced age, physical infirmity, or an existing medical condition.” Although high risk patients only account for 2 to 3 percent of all hospital patients, that still adds up to millions of individuals each year.
Best West Virginia Hospitals According to Google Reviews
Another factor you may want to consider when evaluating a hospital in your area are Google Reviews from past or existing patients. Such reviews may or may not be helpful though because they are not based on any systematic evaluation system. Also, many patients don’t take the time to review hospitals unless they are really unhappy or really satisfied with the treatment they received.
That said, if you read the reviews closely, you may find some helpful information when evaluation different hospitals in your area. Here’s what Google Reviews had to say about hospitals in Huntington, Charleston, and Morgantown, West Virginia.
Charleston, West Virginia Hospitals
Overall, CAMC has the highest google rating in Charleston, which is consistent with U.S. News. At the time of this article, CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital has the highest rating with an average 4.3 star rating out of 21 reviews. CAMC Breast Center has a 5 star average rating but only 2 patients have left reviews. Making a decision based on reviews is harder when there are not many reviews to consider.
CAMC Memorial received a slightly higher average rating of 3.6 stars compared to than CAMC General’s 3.4 stars, but the difference may be negligible.
Saint Francis Hospital received a 3.2 star average rating out of 20 reviews. Thomas Memorial Hospital earned the lowest Google rating with a 2.3 out of 5 star average rating, according to 50 reviews. That said, Thomas did receive 5 star reviews from some patients. So, some patients are apparently happy with the medical treatment they received at Thomas.
Huntington, West Virginia Hospitals
St. Mary’s Medical Center has the highest google rating in Huntington, which is what U.S. News says too. Thirty-four Patients have given St. Mary’s an average of 3.8 out of 5 star reviews. Fifty-seven patients have rated Cabell Hutington Hospital: Emergency Room with a 3.2 average star rating.
Morgantown, West Virginia Hospitals
Google Reviews and U.S. News Best Hospital Rankings seem to agree with what the best hospitals are in Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia. However, Mon General beats out Ruby Memorial on Google Reviews with a 4 out of 5 star average rating compared to Ruby Memorial’s 3.4 out of 5 star average rating. On the other hand, Ruby Memorial has four times more reviews than Mon General, which makes it difficult to compare the two. Also, different hospitals have different specialties and may be higher rated for different specialities. So, again, these reviews are just one factor to consider among many when deciding which hospital is best for you.
Ask a Nurse For His or Her Opinion About Which Hospital is Best in Your Area
Another tactic to consider when selecting doctors and hospitals is what local nurses have to say. My dentist once told me that’s how he often selects medical providers because nurses tend to have an inside view of different hospitals and medical facilities. Also, some nurses have experience working for different doctors and hospitals.
Ask for Your Doctor
One of the most powerful questions I like to ask doctors for myself and family is something like, “What would you do doctor?” Or in this case, “Doctor, which hospital would you choose if you were in my situation?” Sometimes we don’t have many choices when it comes to choosing a hospital, but it never hurts to ask your doctor for their honest opinion.
Free Case Evaluation with a West Virginia Medical Malpractice Lawyer
We hope this article helps you get the medical care you need and deserve. However, if you suspect you or a loved one has been injured or died as a result of medical negligence, we invite you to call one of our experienced medical malpractice lawyers for a Free and Confidential Consultation. Our toll free number is 1-877-943-9378 (WEST).
There’s also No Fee unless you recover financial compensation. West Law Firm is located in Charleston, West Virginia, and our injury lawyers serve clients throughout the state and country.
Brooks West is a personal injury lawyer with almost two decades of experience and the founder and President of West Law Firm. Brooks is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which represents one of the most prestigious groups of injury lawyers in the United States — fewer than 1% of U.S. attorneys are members. Brooks has also been awarded the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Above all, Brooks’ mission is to provide clients with life-changing results.
Lance Bork 
