Cookeville Regional Medical Center Celebrates Milestone Achievements and National Recognitions for Fiscal Year 2024

Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is proud to share its fiscal year 2024 accomplishments (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), which reflect its ongoing dedication to delivering top-tier healthcare services and its continued growth as a vital health provider for Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland region. Now a 269-bed healthcare institution with over 2,550 employees, CRMC is a regional leader by expanding specialty services and achieving numerous prestigious accreditations and recognitions, underscoring its commitment to excellence in patient care.

Throughout fiscal year 2024, CRMC made significant strides in healthcare delivery with 46,878 emergency room visits, 12,758 inpatient admissions, 10,299 surgeries, 3,952 heart procedures, and 1,538 newborn deliveries. Its comprehensive array of services includes interventional cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, robotic surgery in five specialties, urgent and critical care, and cancer treatment—all available locally to meet the diverse needs of a 14-county service area.

“Our core competency at Cookeville Regional is ‘our people caring for our people,’ and I am proud of our team’s dedication to providing exceptional, personalized care right here in our community,” said Buffy Key, CEO at CRMC. “Cookeville Regional Medical Center remains steadfast in its mission to enhance health and build healthier communities in the Upper Cumberland region.”

Accreditations and Certifications
CRMC’s dedication to high-quality, patient-centered care has earned it several prestigious accreditations:

• Accredited by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, Sepsis Certified Center, Chest Pain Center with PCI (Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care), and an Accredited Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (American College of Surgeons MBSAQIP).
• Recognized for Advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement and hip fracture care, demonstrating CRMC’s specialized orthopedic capabilities.

Healthgrades Awards
CRMC was also honored by Healthgrades with numerous awards for its exceptional patient outcomes:

• Named among “America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery™” and ranked in the top 5% nationally for outpatient orthopedic services in 2024.
• Achieved 5-Star Ratings for back and neck surgery in 2024, coronary bypass surgery for seven consecutive years (2018-2024), gallbladder removal surgery for two years in a row (2023-2024), and treatment of diabetic hospitalizations for three years in a row (2022-2024).

Additional Achievements and Recognitions
CRMC has garnered additional accolades for excellence across a range of specialties:

• Accredited by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the American College of Radiology for breast imaging and other imaging modalities, CRMC provides advanced diagnostic and rehabilitative services.
• Recognized by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission of Echocardiography and the College of American Pathologists.
• Diabetes Education Recognition from the American Diabetes Association and Safe Sleep Hospital Bronze Certification from Cribs for Kids.
• Named a “Storm Ready” facility by the National Weather Service.
• Honored with the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award and Cookeville Regional Home Health’s designation as a “Premier Performer” by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP).
• Named “Best Hospital” by the Herald-Citizen Readers’ Choice Award.

“These accolades and our ongoing growth are a testament to our commitment to quality, innovation, and compassion, ensuring our community has access to the very best in healthcare without leaving home. Our community deserves the best healthcare, and we are committed to bringing that to them each and every day,” said CEO Key.

As a city-owned, financially independent hospital, CRMC operates without any reliance on tax dollars. Each year, CRMC contributes $700,000 in lieu of taxes to the City of Cookeville, and all revenue generated is reinvested directly into the hospital to enhance and expand services. In 2023, this reinvestment supported $203,561,080 in salaries, wages, and benefits for its employees and provided $30,719,078 in charity and uncompensated care to support community members in need. The American Hospital Association (AHA) defines uncompensated care as an overall measure of hospital care provided for which no payment was received from the patient or insurer. AHA also defined charity care as care in which hospitals never expect to be reimbursed. This happens when patients are unable to pay their bills but do not apply for charity care or are unwilling to pay their bills.

With a staff of 271 physicians, CRMC is well-equipped to continue serving as the healthcare cornerstone for the region. As the hospital moves forward, it will remain focused on reinvesting in facilities, expanding services and advancing patient care for the community it proudly serves.

“Our people care for the people in our community, and investing in them is one of the best things we can do for our patients. We truly are like a city within a city, employing engineers, nurses, imaging techs, accountants, and more. It takes all of us, and our accomplishments are because of our people,” said CEO Key. “Our medical center has many great things in store for our patients in the region. We are growing and reinvesting in our facility because our community deserves that. We are looking at ways to give patients even more access to care quicker. We won’t stop doing what is best for our patients, and we are excited for what is ahead.”