According to annual ratings released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Wednesday, the VA hospital in Montgomery has plummeted to become one of the worst in the nation this past year.
In 2017, the hospital was ranked as a three (out of five) star facility. Now, it has the lowest possible score — one star. This significant drop in rating also is tied for the nation’s worst, along with the facilities in Decatur, GA, and the infamous Tucson, AZ, hospital.
Alabama’s two other VA hospitals fared much better, however, the Tuscaloosa facility did slip from four stars to three. The Birmingham hospital held steady at four stars.
Montgomery’s disappointing results came in stark contrast to the national trend, which saw a decrease in the number of one-star facilities from 14 in 2017 to nine in 2018. The struggling Alabama facility now joins hospitals like the Phoenix location, whose wait-time crisis in 2014 triggered a national scandal.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.