Highlands Cashiers Hospital

190 Hospital Drive, Highlands, NC 28741 · (828) 526-1200

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

Highlands Cashiers Hospital is a non-profit rural critical-access hospital in Highlands, North Carolina (Macon County), with 24 beds. It has an emergency room. In CMS's patient survey it scores 4 of 5 stars, and 85% of patients said they would definitely recommend it. It lists $3.16 for every $1 its care costs, less than the typical North Carolina hospital ($4.44).

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Not ratedCMS overall quality rating

★★★★★patients' own rating (135 surveys)

$3.16listed for every $1 its care costs North Carolina typical $4.44

1 h 44 mintypical ER visit US typical 2 h 28 min

24beds

Quality and patient experience

What patients say

★★★★★4 of 5 · 135 surveys

85%would definitely recommend the hospital US typical 71%

84%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

1 h 44 mintypical time in the ER before going home US typical 2 h 28 min

0%left the ER without being seen US typical 1%

94%of sepsis patients got the recommended care US typical 65%

ER volume: low.

Deaths within 30 days of admission lower is better

Heart failure

11.6%

Pneumonia

13.7%

Back in the hospital within 30 days lower is better

Heart failure

21.9%

Pneumonia

17.0%

Infections and complications lower is better

C. diff intestinal infections

0.00

≈ 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

$32what care cost the hospital for every $100 it billed

−$9.0Mnet income, all sources

−37.9%margin on patient care alone

$1.5Mcost of charity care (5.8% of costs)

$891,775unpaid bills written off (bad debt)

101full-time staff (equivalent)

From the hospital's Medicare cost report for the year ending November 2024. 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

16 miles awayAngel Medical CenterFranklin, NC★★★★★$5.33 listed per $1 of cost 16 miles awayMountain Lakes Medical CenterClayton, GANot rated$2.43 listed per $1 of cost 21 miles awayHarris Regional HospitalSylva, NC★★★★★$6.15 listed per $1 of cost 24 miles awayTransylvania Regional Hospital, IncBrevard, NC★★★★★$4.54 listed per $1 of cost 28 miles awayDlp Swain County Hospital LLCBryson City, NCNot rated$2.66 listed per $1 of cost

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