US Health Care Costs

Erlanger Murphy Medical Center

3990 East US Highway 64 Alt, Murphy, NC 28906 · (828) 837-8161

Rural (critical access) hospitalVoluntary non-profit - PrivateEmergency room

Erlanger Murphy Medical Center is a non-profit rural critical-access hospital in Murphy, North Carolina (Cherokee County), with 25 beds. It has an emergency room and holds 4 of 5 stars in CMS's overall quality rating. In CMS's patient survey it scores 4 of 5 stars, and 76% of patients said they would definitely recommend it. It lists $2.73 for every $1 its care costs, less than the typical North Carolina hospital ($4.44).

On this page:QualityThe moneyNearby hospitals

Compare with another hospital Best hospitals in North Carolina

★★★★★CMS overall quality rating
★★★★★patients' own rating (167 surveys)
$2.73listed for every $1 its care costs North Carolina typical $4.44
2 h 57 mintypical ER visit US typical 2 h 28 min
25beds

Quality and patient experience

What patients say

★★★★★4 of 5 · 167 surveys

76%would definitely recommend the hospital US typical 71%
76%rated the hospital 9 or 10 out of 10 US typical 72%

Rated by patients

  • Nurses communicated well★★★★★
  • Doctors communicated well★★★★★
  • Staff explained medicines★★★★★
  • Information for going home★★★★★
  • Room was clean★★★★★
  • Quiet at night★★★★★

Emergency room and urgent care

2 h 57 mintypical time in the ER before going home US typical 2 h 28 min
3%left the ER without being seen US typical 1%

ER volume: low.

Deaths within 30 days of admission lower is better
Heart failure
11.2%
Pneumonia
14.3%
Stroke
13.1%
Back in the hospital within 30 days lower is better
Heart failure
20.9%
Pneumonia
16.3%
Infections and complications lower is better
C. diff intestinal infections
0.63
≈ Same as US

US typical hospital. Infection figures are a ratio: 1.00 means as many infections as expected for a hospital like this one. CMS adjusts these rates for how sick the patients are; a small gap from the typical hospital can be chance, so a verdict is shown only where CMS gives one.

Source: CMS Care Compare, measurement periods ending up to September 2025.

The money

$37what care cost the hospital for every $100 it billed
$3.0Mnet income, all sources
−7.1%margin on patient care alone
$2.4Mcost of charity care (3.4% of costs)
$7.4Munpaid bills written off (bad debt)
287full-time staff (equivalent)

From the hospital's Medicare cost report for the year ending June 2025. Non-profit hospitals must have a financial assistance (charity care) policy; ask for it if a bill is hard to pay.

Cash and insurer prices for this hospital haven't been added yet. The hospital publishes them on its own price page.

This hospital has no Medicare stay data for 2024. Medicare data covers mostly patients 65 and older, so psychiatric, children's and very small hospitals often don't appear.

Nearby hospitals

13 miles awayUnion General HospitalBlairsville, GA★★★★★$3.46 listed per $1 of cost15 miles awayChatuge Regional HospitalHiawassee, GANot rated$1.80 listed per $1 of cost26 miles awayBlue Ridge Medical CenterBlue Ridge, GANot rated31 miles awayAngel Medical CenterFranklin, NC★★★★★$5.33 listed per $1 of cost36 miles awayMountain Lakes Medical CenterClayton, GANot rated$2.43 listed per $1 of cost

Compare with the two closest