Black Health
Acute Care Birthing-friendly

Hilo Benioff Medical Center

1190 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 · (808) 932-3000

CMS rating

2/5

Overall hospital rating

Ownership

Public / government

Government - State

CMS Provider #

120005

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

(808) 932-3000

CMS Hospital Compare measure groups

Mortality

6

measures reported

Safety

6

measures reported

2 better than national

1 worse than national

Readmission

9

measures reported

2 worse than national

Patient experience

8

HCAHPS dimensions

Timely & effective

11

measures reported

Hilo Benioff Medical Center in context

HILO BENIOFF MEDICAL CENTER is an acute-care hospital in Hilo, Hawaii, running as a state-operated public hospital. The facility is Medicare-certified under CMS Certification Number 120005, which is the join key across Hospital Compare, MACRA, and most state discharge scorecards.

CMS Hospital Compare assigns this facility an overall rating of 2 of 5 stars — below the national median. On measure groups versus the national rate, the facility is: 6 mortality measures reported with none flagged; 2 better + 1 worse of 6 safety; 2 worse of 9 readmission. CMS's composite rating weights mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, and timely & effective care across all reporting measures; it is not stratified by patient race.

Operationally: HILO BENIOFF MEDICAL CENTER operates an emergency department (EMTALA-covered, which means it must screen and stabilize any patient regardless of ability to pay), and the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation, which requires attesting to the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) obstetric safety bundles.

Statewide context: Hawaii's Black population is small enough that state-level race-stratified hospital measures are frequently cell-suppressed. The Queen's Health System runs the state's major inpatient capacity alongside Hawaii Pacific Health.

For Black patients

If you are a Black patient being seen at HILO BENIOFF MEDICAL CENTER in Hilo, Hawaii, a few concrete steps:

  • Bring an advocate. National data from CDC's Black maternal mortality review show the single biggest reduction in missed-diagnosis rates comes from a second set of ears in the room — a partner, a doula, a family member. Ask in advance that they be credentialed as a visitor; the hospital cannot turn away a designated support person.
  • If you need ongoing primary care, our Hawaii provider directory filters to physicians who accept Medicaid and speak Spanish / Haitian Creole / ASL where relevant. Filter to your insurance first.
  • If the hospital doesn't take your coverage, the closest Federally Qualified Health Center is listed under our FQHCs in this area. FQHCs serve every patient on a sliding-fee scale regardless of insurance status.
  • For help paying for care, the state Medicaid navigator at /medicaid/hawaii/ explains eligibility, documents, and how to apply (same-day presumptive eligibility for pregnancy).
  • If you are treated dismissively or your pain is ignored, every Medicare-certified hospital is required by CMS Conditions of Participation (42 CFR 482.13) to have a grievance procedure; file in writing and request the CMS regional office contact if the hospital ombuds does not respond within seven days.

Alternatives & nearby care

Sliding-scale clinics

FQHCs near Hilo

Federally Qualified Health Centers — take Medicaid and uninsured on sliding scale.

Providers

Providers in HI

Filter our directory to HI — by specialty, language, Medicaid acceptance.

State rollup

All hospitals in Hawaii

Safety-net systems, state scorecard, rollups by CMS star rating.

References & primary sources

  • CMS Hospital Compare — Hospital General Information (the primary source for overall star rating, measure-group counts, ownership, ER, birthing-friendly flag): data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/xubh-q36u.
  • CMS Care Compare facility profile — this hospital's public page: Care Compare.gov search by CCN.
  • 42 CFR Part 482 — Medicare Conditions of Participation for Hospitals (source for grievance-procedure rights + EMTALA): ecfr.gov / Title 42 Part 482.
  • Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) — the obstetric safety bundles underlying the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation: saferbirth.org.

Data refreshed: