Hearth Record

Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center

An acute care hospital in Athens, Georgia 30606

1199 Prince Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30606. (706) 475-7000.

CMS’s own record, on Care Compare

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The short answer

Record last released by CMS on Oct 20, 2026.

The last 24 months 1 deficiency in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Mar 2026. Most serious: Standard-level. Every month

Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.

What these words mean3
Star ratings
CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
Inspection (survey)
A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
Deficiency, citation, violation
What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.

What did inspectors find?

The last inspection on record was on Mar 31, 2026: a complaint inspection.

1 deficiency cited in the last three years.

Source:

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

When those deficiencies happened

1 deficiency in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Mar 2026. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.

1 deficiency by month over the last 3 years. Each cell is one month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2023 Dec
2024 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2026 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNov

Hover or focus a month to read it.

No visit on record Visited, nothing cited A stronger orange is more serious, on its source’s own levels, read onto four bands: from the least serious it publishes to the most
Source:

Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.

Each deficiency, as cited

Rule titles as CMS’s inspectors cite them, set in sentence case.

Source:

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

Mar 31, 2026: complaint inspection1 deficiency

  • Patient Rights: Confidentiality Of Records

    The inspectors’ words, 1,180 words

    “PATIENT RIGHTS: CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS CFR(s): 482.13(d)(1) The patient has the right to the confidentiality of his or her clinical records. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 47718 Based on review of medical records, facility policy and procedures, and staff interviews, it was determined that the facility failed to safeguard the contents of the medical records of one patient (P) (P4) of four patients (P1, P2, P3, and P4) reviewed. On 03/09/2026, P1 was given P4’s printed discharge instructions in error. Findings include: A review of P1’s virtual nursing notes on 3/09/2026 at 10:33 AM revealed that the “ Discharge After Summary “ education was completed per protocol. All questions and concerns were addressed, and P1 verbalized understanding. A review of Social Worker (SW) GG’s notes on 3/09/2026 at 10:37 AM revealed that P1 was medically ready for discharge, and post-discharge services of home health PT (physical therapy) had been arranged with an anticipated start of care the day after discharge. P1 was discharged home with home health care in a fair condition on 3/09/2026 at 12:58 PM. A review of the facility’s complaint/grievance log for the last six months revealed a grievance from P1 entered on 3/11/2026. The grievance was regarding the care/treatment, pain management, accuracy of food, availability of meals, selection of food items, discharge instructions and information, environment, and maintenance of P1 ’ s room. A review of the facility’s policy titled “Care Management Plan for Discharge Planning and Transitions of Care,” policy #19234400, last revised 11/4/2025, revealed that the discharge planning process and the discharge plan must be consistent with the patient’s goals for care and his or her treatment preferences, ensure an effective transition of the patient from hospital to post-discharge care, and reduce the factors leading to preventable hospital readmissions. When an inpatient is being discharged to another facility, the proper referral forms, transfer forms, and pertinent medical records describing the inpatient’s clinical status and discharge instructions would accompany the patient. Documentation of discharge planning and instructions, as well as options for post-acute providers, would be noted in the patient’s medical record. A review of the facility’s policy titled “Patient Protected Health Information Privacy Program, “ policy #20033794, last approved 3/2/26, revealed that it was the policy of the facility to establish and maintain a formal privacy compliance program and management structure responsible for monitoring and maintaining Protected Health Information (PHI) confidentiality standards throughout the organization. The facility’s workforce (employees, contractors, physicians, volunteers, students, and other temporary workers) activities would include, but not be limited to: - Maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of protected health information in order to ensure the patient’s right to privacy. · Limiting access to PHI to the “minimum necessary” to achieve the intended purpose regarding the use or disclosure of PHI. · Should the individual who believed their right to privacy has been breached insist that their complaint be addressed immediately or if any member of the work force of any of the facility’s Provider identified that an actual privacy or information security breach has occurred, the Compliance Department (during normal business hours) or the Administrator on Call (after business hours) would be notified immediately and would be dealt with as described in policy 2003 “Patient/Family Complaint and/or Grievance Policy. A review of the facility’s policy titled “Rights and Responsibilities of Patients, “ policy #16455823, last revised 8/22/24, revealed that the patient had a right to the provision of care in a safe setting. The patient was responsible for voicing any patient safety concerns before, during, and after care. A review of the facility’s policy titled “Confidentiality of Information, “ policy #20033910, last approved 3/2/2026, revealed that confidential and sensitive personal data and information were shared with the physicians and other healthcare providers in good faith. Patients and their families had trust and confidence that the information shared would be used for the overall welfare and benefit of the patient. Therefore, the physicians and the members of the workforce within the facility must take ownership and responsibility to maintain a patient focus and ensure patient privacy at all times, both on and off the job. It had therefore been declared by the facility’s Board of Directors and Executive Staff that preserving the privacy and confidentiality of patient information and other enterprise data was of vital importance. It was the responsibility of all employees, physicians, and others affiliated with the facility to be aware of and adhere to confidentiality policies and procedures. An interview was conducted in the facility’s conference room on 3/30/2026 at 2:15 PM with Medical-Surgical, Nursing Director (ND) AA, who stated that P1 had called the facility to state that she did not have her discharge paperwork and requested to speak with Registered Nurse (RN) FF. ND AA continued to state that RN FF had told P1 that another discharge paperwork could be printed, and a family member would have to come pick it up, or P1 could access the paperwork via My Chart (Online), but P1 had expressed that nobody could come over to the hospital to pick up the paperwork. ND AA also stated that RN FF had gone over the medications and the discharge follow-up care to P1 over the phone. ND AA further stated that she called P1 ’ s family member the next day and also explained the medications and post-discharge care. An interview was conducted in the facility’s conference room on 3/31/2026 at 9:30 AM with RN FF who stated that she discharged P1 and unfortunately gave P1 another patient’s (P4) discharge paperwork as she had also discharged P4 the same day. RN FF stated that she had gone over a few concerns P1 had regarding showering while going through the paperwork on the mobile computer. However, she could not print the paperwork from the mobile computer, so she had to go to the desktop to gain access to the paperwork, and she most likely printed out P4 ’ s paperwork. RN FF continued to state that P4 was being transferred to a nursing home, and SW GG had already printed out P4 ’ s discharge paperwork and put it in a packet because she (RN FF) checked the packet and confirmed the paperwork. RN FF continued to state that she had mistakenly taken the paperwork she had printed prior, which belonged to P4, and given it to P1, but she could confirm that P1 ’ s paperwork was never given to P4. An interview was conducted in the facility’s conference room on 3/31/2026 at 10:00 AM with SW GG, who stated that whenever a patient is being transferred to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), a packet containing the patient’s discharge orders, report, and after-visit summary would be transferred with the patient, and the social worker most times would print the discharge paperwork and put it in a packet, which was why she printed P4 ’ s discharge paperwork as P4 was being transferred to a SNF. SW GG further confirmed that she did not print paperwork for P1, and P1 ‘s paperwork was definitely not given to P4.”

    Rule A0147. Standard-level. From a complaint.

All 4 inspections in the last three years
Inspections on record
DateVisitWhat the record says
Mar 31, 2026Complaint inspection1 deficiency cited
Dec 31, 2025Complaint inspectionNo deficiencies cited
May 20, 2025Complaint inspectionNo deficiencies cited
Mar 15, 2024Complaint inspectionNo deficiencies cited

How do patients fare?

  • CMS’s overall for it is 4 of 5.
  • Of the measures behind its , CMS counts against the national value: mortality, 0 better and 0 worse of 8; safety of care, 3 better and 0 worse of 7; readmission, 2 better and 0 worse of 10.
  • Patients rate it 4 of 5 in CMS’s patient survey (1,463 surveys completed, Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): 76% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 78% would definitely recommend it.
  • Infections, compared by CMS with the national benchmark (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI), better than the national benchmark; catheter urinary tract infections (CAUTI), no different than national benchmark; surgical site infections after colon surgery, no different than national benchmark; surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy, no different than national benchmark; MRSA bloodstream infections, no different than national benchmark; C. diff infections, better than the national benchmark.
  • CMS’s patient safety composite for serious complications, PSI 90, Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2024: no different than the national value.
  • Deaths within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025): heart attack 11.8%, heart failure 10%, pneumonia 17.1%, COPD 6.7%, stroke 14.2%, heart bypass surgery 1.9%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
  • Readmissions within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2023 to Jun 30, 2025): heart attack 15.1%, heart failure 21.2%, pneumonia 16.5%, COPD 20.5%, heart bypass surgery 10.9%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
  • After outpatient care, compared by CMS: unplanned hospital visits after a colonoscopy, no different than the national rate; hospital admissions after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; emergency visits after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; unplanned hospital visits after outpatient surgery, no different than expected.
  • Emergency department patients spent a median of 183 minutes there before leaving (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025), and 2% left before being seen.
  • 53% of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock got the care CMS measures, SEP-1 (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025).
  • Medicare’s spending per patient here is 0.95 times the national median (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024).
Source:

CMS, Hospital General Information, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital, Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital, Timely and Effective Care - Hospital and Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, Complications and Deaths - Hospital and Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital. Released Sep 30, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Ratings and measures, as published
MeasureRating
Overall ratingCMS’s overall hospital quality star rating, 1 to 54 of 5
Patient survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of the hospital’s patients (HCAHPS), 1 to 54 of 5

Is it certified, and in good standing?

  • Medicare-certified acute care hospital since Jul 1, 1966.
  • Ownership: voluntary non-profit - other.
  • It is accredited by DNV, whose surveys stand in for the state’s routine inspections.
  • No deficiency on record in the last three years.
  • Voluntary non-profit - Other.
Source:

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

Has it been penalized?

  • CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals.
  • Not among the hospitals whose Medicare payments CMS cut under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program for fiscal year 2026.
  • 1 deficiency cited in the last three years came from an inspection that included a complaint investigation.
Source:

CMS, Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated yearly.

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

What do patients say about their care?

  • CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
  • In CMS’s patient survey, patients rate how well its nurses communicated 4 of 5.
  • 53% of its health care workers got a flu shot (Oct 1, 2024 to Mar 31, 2025).
Source:

CMS, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital and Timely and Effective Care - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Who owns it?

  • Piedmont Healthcare Inc. runs it.
  • 19 owners or officers are people: James Burnett (corporate officer); James Burnett (corporate director); Phillip E Bettendorf (corporate director); Samuel K Thomason (corporate director); Thomas Arnold (runs it (operational or managerial control)); Michael J Mandl (corporate director); Cheryl K Legette (corporate director); David M Sailors (corporate director); Roswell Lawrence (corporate director); Jason Smith (managing employee (on the payroll)); Robert C Cross (managing employee (on the payroll)); Robert C Cross (runs it (operational or managerial control)); Warren A Reddish (corporate director); Elizabeth H Ripps (corporate director); Elizabeth Leddy (corporate officer); Justin Webb Roberts (corporate officer, 0%); Carolann A Eisenhart (corporate director); Tony D Townley (corporate director); Kevin L Brown (corporate director).
  • CMS’s Provider of Services file records 1 change of ownership, the latest on Jul 1, 1995.
  • No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
  • No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
Source:

CMS, Hospital All Owners and Hospital Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated monthly.

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Organisations CMS lists
OrganisationRoleShareSince
Piedmont Healthcare Inc.Runs it (operational or managerial control)100%Oct 1, 2016

How does it compare nearby?

  • Of the 2 hospitals CMS lists in Clarke County, 2 have an overall star rating from CMS: 1 rated 4 of 5, 1 rated 1 of 5.
  • CMS rates this one 4 of 5.
Source:

CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

1 compared
PlaceOverall star rating
St Mary’s Hospital1

What the record doesn’t say

  • CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals, so none are shown. The one payment cut CMS publishes for each hospital, under its Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, is shown where it applies.
  • Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
  • Most hospitals are accredited by a private organisation (The Joint Commission, DNV and others) whose routine inspections stand in for the state’s; those reports aren’t public, and QCOR holds only the state’s surveys: no inspection on record here doesn’t mean none took place.
  • QCOR says its hospital inspection data are complete only through September 17, 2026, while it moves to a new system.
  • CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
  • In its September 2026 release CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for death and readmission rates, though it gives the rates.

Sources

If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.

Source:

This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.

From the hospital

The public record above comes first. Anything the hospital adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.

Replies

None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospital will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.

Paid listing

None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the hospital”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

From the homeNone yet. Replies and paid listings aren’t open, and when they open they will sit here, below the record.

1 of 4

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