Atrium Health Lincoln
433 Mcalister Rd, Lincolnton, NC 28092 · (980) 212-2000
CMS rating
4/5
Overall hospital rating
Ownership
Public / government
Government - Hospital District or Authority
CMS Hospital Compare measure groups
Mortality
5
measures reported
Safety
5
measures reported
1 better than national
Readmission
6
measures reported
Patient experience
8
HCAHPS dimensions
Timely & effective
11
measures reported
Atrium Health Lincoln in context
ATRIUM HEALTH LINCOLN is an acute-care hospital in Lincolnton, North Carolina, running as a hospital-district public facility and operates as part of Atrium Health. The facility is Medicare-certified under CMS Certification Number 340145, which is the join key across Hospital Compare, MACRA, and most state discharge scorecards.
CMS Hospital Compare assigns this facility an overall rating of 4 of 5 stars — above the national median. On measure groups versus the national rate, the facility is: 5 mortality measures reported with none flagged; 1 better of 5 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: ATRIUM HEALTH LINCOLN 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: North Carolina adopted Medicaid expansion effective December 2023. Atrium Health, UNC, Duke, and ECU Health carry most complex-case admissions; ECU anchors rural Eastern NC maternal health.
For Black patients
If you are a Black patient being seen at ATRIUM HEALTH LINCOLN in Lincolnton, North Carolina, 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 North Carolina 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/north-carolina/ 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 Lincolnton
Federally Qualified Health Centers, take Medicaid and uninsured on sliding scale.
Providers
Providers in NC
Filter our directory to NC, by specialty, language, Medicaid acceptance.
State rollup
All hospitals in North Carolina
Safety-net systems, state scorecard, rollups by CMS star rating.
Black maternal health context for Atrium Health Lincoln
Black women in the U.S. die from pregnancy-related causes at 3 to 4 times the rate of white women per the CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. Atrium Health Lincoln has attested to the CMS Maternal Care Structural Measure, a self-reported implementation of perinatal best practices including racial bias training, emergency obstetric protocols, and lactation support. If you're choosing a delivery hospital, the questions to ask are: hemorrhage protocol, eclampsia/HELLP response time, doula-friendly policy, postpartum follow-up.
Safety-net hospital, Atrium Health Lincoln
Atrium Health Lincoln is a designated safety-net hospital, meaning it serves a disproportionate share of Medicaid, uninsured, and low-income patients. Safety-net hospitals are required to provide care regardless of ability to pay and typically have on-site Medicaid enrollment counselors. If you don't have insurance, ask the patient financial counselor about Medicaid presumptive eligibility, charity care, and sliding-scale billing.
Emergency department context
Atrium Health Lincoln has a 24/7 emergency department. Black patients face documented disparities in ED triage and pain management, Black patients with comparable cardiac symptoms wait 20-25 minutes longer for evaluation per the AHRQ National Healthcare Quality Report. If you're going to the ED, name your symptoms specifically and ask for the workup you want documented (EKG, troponin, imaging). Bring a family member or friend to advocate.
Coverage + benefits in North Carolina
Most U.S. hospitals accept Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. Hospital financial counselors can enroll uninsured patients in Medicaid the same day under presumptive eligibility rules. Anyone enrolled in Medicaid is automatically income-eligible for WIC under federal adjunctive eligibility (7 CFR 246.7).
Frequently asked questions
What is the CMS rating of Atrium Health Lincoln?
Atrium Health Lincoln has a CMS overall hospital rating of 4 out of 5 stars. CMS Hospital Compare combines mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience, and timely-effective-care measures into this single rating.
What kind of hospital is Atrium Health Lincoln?
Atrium health lincoln is a government - hospital district or authority facility. a designated safety-net hospital. part of the Atrium Health system.
Does Atrium Health Lincoln have an emergency room or labor and delivery?
Atrium Health Lincoln offers a 24/7 emergency department, CMS Maternal Care Structural Measure attestation for perinatal best practices.
Where is Atrium Health Lincoln located?
Atrium Health Lincoln is at 433 Mcalister Rd, Lincolnton, NC, 28092. Phone: (980) 212-2000.
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: