Scenic Mountain Medical Center
An acute care hospital in Big Spring, Texas 79720
1601 W 11th Place, Big Spring, Texas 79720. (432) 263-1211.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare.
The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 20, 2026.
- Not rated CMS’s overall rating
- Not rated patient survey rating
- 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 146 beds
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean2
- 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 Aug 12, 2026: a complaint inspection.
2 deficiencies cited in the last three years.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
When those deficiencies happened
2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Aug 2026. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dec | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
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.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
Aug 12, 2026: complaint inspection2 deficiencies
-
Facilities, Supplies, Equipment Maintenance
The inspectors’ words, 627 words
“FACILITIES, SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE CFR(s): 482.41(c)(2) Facilities, supplies, and equipment must be maintained to ensure an acceptable level of safety and quality. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 36594 Based on observation and staff interview, the facility failed to consistently maintain supplies and equipment to ensure an acceptable level of safety and quality when various supplies were not provided to each unit of the facility. Findings were: During an interview with Staff #1, Director Quality/Risk, and Staff #2, Administrative Nursing Director, on the morning of 8/11/26, Staff #2 stated, “We have had issues with supplies...” Staff #1 verified supply issues previously and reported the facility has contingency plans when supplies are not available. Observations and interviews of 8 patient care areas (ED, Day Surgery, ICU, Med Surg, Behavioral Health, Women’s, L&D, and Nursery) were conducted on 8/11/26 and 8/12/26. 3 of the 8 areas were observed to have missing equipment with staff verifying issues off and on of equipment not being available at all times, which included single-use pulse oximetry [measure of oxgyen saturation of the blood] sensors, blood pressure cuffs, IV tubing, IV catheters, and some patient hygiene items. In an interview on the morning of 8/11/26, Staff #3, ED Director, verified previous difficulty with obtaining supplies since vital sign monitors for blood pressure and pulse oximetry were older models and there was a back order of single-use items compatible with facility monitors. Staff #2 stated, “We were able to figure out how to use [corporate facility’s] equipment with our monitors, it’s much easier to get those. We got a new cord [compatible with facility monitors].” In an interview on the morning of 8/11/26, regarding the shortage of pulse oximeters and blood pressure cuffs, Staff #4, Administrative Director of Supply Chain Shannon stated, “They have different equipment than [corporate]. We’re in the process of purchasing to standardize, the current [this facility has been using] have been on backorder, so we reach out to alternate suppliers and a third party reprocessing. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been any impact to patient care. This morning, I verify we do have product here. They have an adaptor for the monitors.” Observations of the Central Supply Area on the afternoon of 8/11/26 revealed several boxes of each size pulse oximetry sensors and blood pressure cuffs (pediatric through adult), IV catheters, IV tubing, and patient hygiene items. Staff #5, Administrative Director Supply Chain Shannon Big Spring, stated, “We just got 7 pallets [of supplies]... It’s my job to make sure we have freight in here.” Staff #5 reported he recently started full-time on-site and has a new staff member assigned to stock the units. When discussing the issues with the pulse ox sensors, he went on to discuss their PAR [Periodic Automatic Replenishment] system and indicated the system automatically reorders the supplies when a certain item gets to a minimum level. He reported the pulse ox had been on back-order, “so originally, they only released 6 [boxes] of them.” When asked if any other unit uses the older pulse ox sensors, he stated, “ICU uses the old ones.” When asked if ICU was the only unit that still uses the old sensors, he reported they were, as far as he knew.Staff #5 reported they have been working on ordering systems to match and working with units to adjust their PARs for the correct number of supplies they need. Observations of the Day Surgery Unit supply room on the morning of 8/12/26 revealed use of the old pulse ox sensors. Only 8 smallbore extension sets were noted with no box to store them and no area to indicate the PAR level for this unit. The above observations and interviews were discussed throughout the survey process with Staff #1, Director Quality/Risk.”
-
Emergency Services Policies
The inspectors’ words, 240 words
“EMERGENCY SERVICES POLICIES CFR(s): 482.55(a)(3) [If emergency services are provided at the hospital --] (3) The policies and procedures governing medical care provided in the emergency service or department are established by and are a continuing responsibility of the medical staff. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 36594 Based on review of facility policies, review of medical records, and staff interview, the facility failed to ensure policies and procedures in the emergency department [ED] were not consistently followed when 1 of 7 ED patients reviewed (Patient #1) did not have vital signs documented per policy. Findings were: Review of facility policy titled “Comprehensive Physical and Vital Sign Assessment Big Spring” effective date 08/2026 states in part, “Procedure: All patients presenting to the Emergency Department will have the following documentation: ...Initial Vital Signs ...ESI [Emergency Severity Index, triage system to prioritize patient care] 4 & 5 Vital signs... should be obtained and documented every 2 hours.” Review of the medical record for Patient #1 revealed presentation to the ED on 8/5/26 at 7:00 pm with an ESI 4 and was discharged at 9:30 pm. There were vital signs obtained at discharge but no further follow-up or discharge vital signs documented. During an interview while reviewing Patient #1’s record on the morning of 8/12/26, Staff #1, Director Quality/Risk, provided the policy and verified Patient #1 should have had a set of vital signs after 2 hours as an ESI 4.”
All 7 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Complaint inspection | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Sep 16, 2025 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Jul 15, 2025 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Jun 25, 2024 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Apr 16, 2024 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Feb 27, 2024 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Jan 24, 2024 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
How do patients fare?
- CMS gives no overall 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.: “There are too few measures or measure groups reported to calculate a star rating or measure group score.”
- Of the measures behind its 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., CMS counts against the national value: mortality, 0 better and 0 worse of 2; safety of care, 0 better and 0 worse of 2; readmission, 1 better and 1 worse of 4.
- CMS gives no 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.: “The number of cases/patients is too few to report a star rating.”
- In CMS’s patient survey (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): 53% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 45% would definitely recommend it.
- Infections, compared by CMS with the national benchmark (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): C. diff infections, no different than 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 failure 13.2%, pneumonia 19.5%. 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 failure 21.1%, pneumonia 17.6%, COPD 20.5%. 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.
- Emergency department patients spent a median of 120 minutes there before leaving (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025), and 4% left before being seen.
- 61% 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 1.21 times the national median (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024).
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.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall ratingCMS’s overall hospital quality star rating, 1 to 5 | Not rated |
| Patient survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of the hospital’s patients (HCAHPS), 1 to 5 | Not rated |
Is it certified, and in good standing?
- Medicare-certified acute care hospital since Mar 22, 1975.
- Ownership: proprietary.
- It is accredited by DNV, whose surveys stand in for the state’s routine inspections.
- No For hospices, home health agencies, hospitals and dialysis facilities, CMS writes deficiencies at two levels. Standard is the usual one; condition-level is the more serious, when a problem is serious enough that the provider doesn’t meet a whole condition of taking part in Medicare. Source: CMS, State Operations Manual. deficiency on record in the last three years.
- Proprietary.
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.
- 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years came from inspections that included a complaint investigation.
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.
- 90% of its health care workers got a flu shot (Oct 1, 2024 to Mar 31, 2025).
CMS, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital and Timely and Effective Care - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who owns it?
- Shannon Health System owns 100% directly since Apr 1, 2026.
- 18 owners or officers are people: James A Boyd (corporate director); Leonard Mertz (corporate director); Amado M Castillo (corporate director); Oran Berry (corporate director); Martha Visney (corporate director); Michael Weatherford (corporate director); Michael Oliphant (corporate director); Ross A Harper (corporate director); Jeffrey G Mccormick (corporate director); Kelly Plymell (corporate officer); Kelly Plymell (corporate director); Kelly Plymell (managing employee (on the payroll)); Rudy Haddad (corporate director); Joseph Wooldridge (corporate officer); Joseph Wooldridge (managing employee (on the payroll)); William C Griffis (corporate director); John Cecil (corporate director); Freddy L Moore (corporate director).
- CMS’s Provider of Services file records 5 changes of ownership, the latest on Apr 1, 2026.
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
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.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Health System | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Apr 1, 2026 |
| Shannon West Texas Memorial Hospital | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Apr 1, 2026 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 2 hospitals CMS lists in Howard County, none has an overall star rating from CMS.
- CMS gives this hospital no overall star rating to compare.
CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Overall star rating |
|---|---|
| Big Spring State Hospital | Not given |
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
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information (xubh-q36u).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital.
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital (77hc-ibv8).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Complications and Deaths - Hospital (ynj2-r877).
Released Sep 30, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital (632h-zaca).
Released Sep 30, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Timely and Effective Care - Hospital (yv7e-xc69).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary - Hospital (rrqw-56er).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program (yq43-i98g).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated yearly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities (Hospital_and_other.DATA.Q3_2026.csv).
Released Oct 14, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies (Hospital_2567s_2010_to_2026YTD.xlsx).
Released Oct 20, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital All Owners (Hospital_All_Owners_2026.09.29.csv).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital Enrollments (Hospital_Enrollments_2026.09.29.csv).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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.
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.