Black Health
Acute Care Birthing-friendly

Merit Health Central

1850 Chadwick Dr, Jackson, MS 39204 · (601) 376-1000

CMS rating

1/5

Overall hospital rating

Ownership

For-profit

Proprietary

CMS Provider #

250072

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

(601) 376-1000

CMS Hospital Compare measure groups

Mortality

5

measures reported

Safety

4

measures reported

1 better than national

Readmission

6

measures reported

Patient experience

8

HCAHPS dimensions

Timely & effective

9

measures reported

Merit Health Central in context

MERIT HEALTH CENTRAL is an acute-care hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, running as a for-profit hospital. The facility is Medicare-certified under CMS Certification Number 250072, which is the join key across Hospital Compare, MACRA, and most state discharge scorecards.

CMS Hospital Compare assigns this facility an overall rating of 1 of 5 stars — the bottom tier on CMS's 1–5 scale. On measure groups versus the national rate, the facility is: 5 mortality measures reported with none flagged; 1 better of 4 safety; 6 readmission measures reported with none flagged. 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: MERIT HEALTH CENTRAL 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: Mississippi has the highest Black maternal mortality ratio in the country per CDC PMSS estimates. The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson is the only academic medical center in the state and the primary referral site for complex obstetric cases. Mississippi has not adopted Medicaid expansion.

For Black patients

If you are a Black patient being seen at MERIT HEALTH CENTRAL in Jackson, Mississippi, 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 Mississippi 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/mississippi/ 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 Jackson

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

Providers

Providers in MS

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

State rollup

All hospitals in Mississippi

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: