Quick answers
- Does Watauga Medical Center have an emergency room?
- Yes. Medicare (CMS) data lists emergency services at Watauga Medical Center. In a medical emergency, call 911.
- Where is Watauga Medical Center?
- 336 Deerfield Road, Boone, NC 28607, in Watauga County, North Carolina.
- What is the phone number of Watauga Medical Center?
- (828) 262-4100, as listed by Medicare (CMS).
- What is the Medicare star rating of Watauga Medical Center?
- 3 out of 5 stars in the CMS overall hospital quality rating (CMS data updated 2026-07-22).
Specialties and care areas[4]
- Cardiovascular services
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology
- Cancer services
- Radiology and imaging
- Surgical services
- Birthing center
- Sleep medicine
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Wound care
- Respiratory therapy
- Intensive care
- Laboratory services
- Nutrition therapy
Treatments[4]
- Infusion services
- Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Wound care
Programs and centers[4][5]
- Primary Stroke Center (Joint Commission)
- Chest Pain Certification (Joint Commission)
- Community Cancer Care Center (ACS Commission on Cancer)
- Heart & Vascular Center
- Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center
- Wilma Redmond Breast Center
- The Sleep Center
Emergency care (hospital website)[4]
| Emergency room | Yes |
|---|---|
| Open 24/7 | Yes |
| Stroke designation | Primary Stroke Center (Joint Commission) |
Visiting and practical information
| Parking | A parking map PDF is available on the hospital page[4] |
|---|---|
| Patient portal | My UNC Chart |
Recognition[4]
- Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center certification
- Joint Commission Gold Seal, Chest Pain Certification
- AHA Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus and Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll (2019)
- ACS Commission on Cancer Approved Community Cancer Care Center
Doctors and clinicians (418)
418 doctors and other clinicians list Watauga Medical Center as a hospital where they work, in Medicare's official clinician data (updated 2026-10-02). It is not a complete staff list.
Main specialties
- Nurse Practitioner62
- Diagnostic Radiology55
- Family Practice49
- Physician Assistant40
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)24
- Internal Medicine21
- Emergency Medicine17
- General Surgery14
- Cardiovascular Disease (Cardiology)13
- Orthopedic Surgery12
- Pathology12
- Radiation Oncology11
Doctors with a page on this site (418)
- Aaron M. Schmitt, MDEmergency Medicine
- Adam K. Wilson, MDFamily Practice
- Adam Maxwell, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Adam R. Militana, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Adam White, DOHospitalist
- Adrian Romero, MDEmergency Medicine
- Adrienne W. Wyssbrod, CNACertified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Ahmed H. Qavi, MDInterventional Cardiology
- Alden H. Reine Jr., MDUrology
- Alfred D. Earwood, MDFamily Practice
- Alicia B. WaycasterNurse Practitioner
- Alicia Crane, NPNurse Practitioner
- Amanda D. BundyNurse Practitioner
- Amanda L. KincaidNurse Practitioner
- Amber SternNurse Practitioner
- Amy M. Jones, CNACertified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Andrew C. GrayPhysician Assistant
- Andrew ChidesterEmergency Medicine
- Andrew Hordes, MDCardiovascular Disease (Cardiology)
- Andrew T. Voglewede, MDOtolaryngology
- Andy P. Brown, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Angela L. Baldwin, CNACertified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Ankur Tiwari, MDCardiac Electrophysiology
- Anna L. Sobol, MDMedical Oncology
And 394 more: the button below opens the full list.
Names link to the doctor’s page on this site when there is one, otherwise to the official NPI Registry record (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Find a doctor · Source: CMS Facility Affiliation Data
Other emergency rooms nearby
Hospitals that list emergency services, by straight-line distance (not driving distance).
- Charles a Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital14 mi · Linville, NC · Critical Access Hospital
- Ashe Memorial Hospital19 mi · Jefferson, NC · Critical Access Hospital
- Johnson County Community Hospital19 mi · Mountain City, TN · Critical Access Hospital
- Caldwell Memorial Hospital21 mi · Lenoir, NC · Acute Care Hospital
- Wilkes Regional Medical Center28 mi · North Wilkesboro, NC · Acute Care Hospital
Other hospitals nearby
- Appalachian Regional Behavioral Healthcare14 mi · Linville, NC · Psychiatric Hospital
Nursing homes, hospice, home health and dialysis nearby
Medicare-certified providers within 25 miles, by straight-line distance. Hospice and home health care is given at home: their address is the office.
Nursing homes
- Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation1.2 mi · Boone, NC · 1 of 5 stars
- The Foley Center at Chestnut Ridge3.3 mi · Blowing Rock, NC · 2 of 5 stars
- Life Care Center of Banner Elk12 mi · Banner Elk, NC · 4 of 5 stars
All nursing homes in the state →
Hospice providers
- Medi Home Health and Hospice1.3 mi · Boone, NC · 4 of 5 stars
- Amorem16 mi · Lenoir, NC · 5 of 5 stars
- Medi Home Hospice20 mi · Newland, NC · 4 of 5 stars
All hospice providers in the state →
Home health agencies
- Centerwell Home Health1.3 mi · Boone, NC · 4 of 5 stars
- Medi Home Health and Hospice1.3 mi · Boone, NC · 3 of 5 stars
- Adoration Home Health16 mi · Lenoir, NC · 4 of 5 stars
All home health agencies in the state →
Dialysis facilities
- Fresenius Medical Care Watauga County1.3 mi · Boone, NC · 4 of 5 stars
- FMC - BMA of Lenoir Inc16 mi · Lenoir, NC · 3 of 5 stars
- FMC Mountain City20 mi · Mountain City, TN · 5 of 5 stars
Community care nearby
Health centers, clinics, urgent care and pharmacies closest to this hospital, by straight-line distance, from official HRSA, Medicare and NPI Registry data. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Community health centers
- High Country Community Health Watauga Dental0.2 mi · Boone, NC · Community health center
- High Country Community Health Mobile Unit0.5 mi · Boone, NC · Community health center
- High Country Community Health Watauga Center0.5 mi · Boone, NC · Community health center
Clinics and urgent care
- Appalachian Regional Medical Associates, Inc.1.3 mi · Boone, NC · Urgent care center
- Blue Ridge Medical Management Corporation12 mi · Banner Elk, NC · Urgent care center
- BHRHC Mtncity20 mi · Mountain City, TN · Rural health clinic
Pharmacies
- Boone Drug New Market LLC1.3 mi · Boone, NC · Pharmacy
- Boone Drugs Inc1.3 mi · Boone, NC · Pharmacy
- Boone Drugs Inc1.3 mi · Boone, NC · Pharmacy
Assisted living nearby
Licensed homes from the official state licence list, by straight-line distance.
- Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living1.3 mi · Boone, NC
About the Medicare star rating
CMS (the federal Medicare agency) gives many hospitals an overall rating from 1 to 5 stars, based on measures of mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience and timely care. It is one piece of information: ask your doctor what matters for your care. See the full Medicare profile →
Medicare quality data
What Watauga Medical Center reported to Medicare (CMS), the federal agency that publishes these results for hospitals nationwide. These are averages for many patients, not a prediction for any one person: ask your doctor what matters for your care. In a medical emergency, call 911.
What patients said (patient survey)
What this means: Patients who stayed overnight answered a national survey (HCAHPS) about their stay. More stars mean patients reported a better experience than at other hospitals. The percentages show how often patients gave the best answer, next to the national average.
| Summary star rating (all survey topics) | 4 of 5 stars |
|---|---|
| Overall rating of the hospital | 4 of 5 stars |
| Would recommend the hospital | 5 of 5 stars |
| Nurses communicated well | 4 of 5 stars |
| Doctors communicated well | 4 of 5 stars |
| Staff explained medicines | 4 of 5 stars |
| Information about recovery at home | 4 of 5 stars |
| Room and bathroom kept clean | 3 of 5 stars |
| Quiet at night | 4 of 5 stars |
| Rated the hospital 9 or 10 out of 10 | 77%National average: 72% |
| Would definitely recommend the hospital | 77%National average: 71% |
| Nurses “always” communicated well | 83%National average: 80% |
| Doctors “always” communicated well | 84%National average: 80% |
| Staff “always” explained medicines before giving them | 66%National average: 62% |
| Were given information about recovery at home | 89%National average: 86% |
| Room and bathroom “always” clean | 68%National average: 74% |
| Area around the room “always” quiet at night | 60%National average: 60% |
| Completed surveys | 597Response rate: 27% |
Source: Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026; patients discharged October 2024 to September 2025.
Infections caught in the hospital
What this means: CMS compares the number of infections patients caught in this hospital with the number expected for a hospital like it. The number shown is that ratio: below 1 means fewer infections than expected, above 1 means more. “Better” or “worse” is shown only when the difference is clear in the data.
| Central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI) | 0No different from the national benchmark |
|---|---|
| Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) | 0No different from the national benchmark |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | Not reported to Medicare |
| Surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy | Not reported to Medicare |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | 0No different from the national benchmark |
| Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) intestinal infections | 0.289Better than the national benchmark |
Source: Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026; data from October 2024 to September 2025.
Complications and deaths
What this means: Death rates are the share of patients who died within 30 days of going into the hospital for that condition, adjusted for how sick they were. PSI-90 combines several serious complications (a lower number is better). “No different from the national rate” is the most common result and means the hospital is in line with hospitals nationwide.
| Deaths within 30 days: heart attack patients | 11.9% |
|---|---|
| Deaths within 30 days: heart failure patients | 9.3% |
| Deaths within 30 days: pneumonia patients | 17.8% |
| Deaths within 30 days: COPD patients | 9.8% |
| Deaths within 30 days: stroke patients | 10.6% |
| Deaths within 30 days: coronary bypass surgery (CABG) | Not reported to Medicare |
| Serious complications (patient safety indicator PSI-90) | 0.96No different from the national rate |
| Complications after hip or knee replacement | 3.6% |
Source: Complications and Deaths - Hospital — CMS, released September 10, 2026; data from July 2022 to June 2025.
Return visits to the hospital (readmissions)
What this means: The share of patients who had to be admitted to a hospital again within 30 days after going home, adjusted for how sick they were. A lower percentage is better.
| Returned to any hospital within 30 days (all patients) | Not reported to Medicare |
|---|---|
| Readmitted within 30 days: heart attack | 13.4% |
| Readmitted within 30 days: heart failure | 20.9% |
| Readmitted within 30 days: pneumonia | 18% |
| Readmitted within 30 days: COPD | 20.6% |
| Readmitted within 30 days: coronary bypass surgery | Not reported to Medicare |
| Readmitted within 30 days: hip or knee replacement | 5.1% |
Source: Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital — CMS, released September 10, 2026; data from July 2023 to June 2025.
Emergency room times and sepsis care
What this means: ER time is the middle (median) time from arriving at the emergency room to leaving it; busier ERs usually have longer times, so the ER volume is shown too. Leaving before being seen: a lower percentage is better. Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection; a higher percentage means more patients got every recommended early step.
| Emergency room volume (patients per year) | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
|---|---|
| Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency room before leaving (OP-18b) | 192 minutesNational average: 162 minutes |
| Patients who left the emergency room before being seen (OP-22) | 1%National average: 2% |
| Sepsis patients who got all the recommended early care (SEP-1) | 44%National average: 65% |
Source: Timely and Effective Care - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026; data from January 2024 to December 2024.
ER wait times and Medicare ratings nearby
How this hospital compares with others in the area, ranked only by official Medicare (CMS) numbers.
Prices
We have not been able to read a price file for Watauga Medical Center yet. Every US hospital must publish its standard charges online (federal price transparency rule): look for “price transparency” or “standard charges” on the hospital’s website, or call the hospital and ask for an estimate. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Hospital information
| Hospital type | Acute Care Hospital |
|---|---|
| Address | 336 Deerfield Road, Boone, NC 28607 |
| County | Watauga County |
| State | North Carolina |
| Phone | (828) 262‑4100 |
| Emergency services | Yes |
| Ownership | Government - Local |
| Medicare overall rating | 3 of 5 stars |
| Birthing-friendly designation | Yes (meets CMS criteria) |
| CMS Certification Number | 340051 |
| Name in Medicare records | WATAUGA MEDICAL CENTER |
| Profile level | Medicare data + hospital website |
| Official website | unchealthappalachian.org |
| Corrections | Report an error or suggest an update → |
Sources
- Hospital General Information — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), data updated 2026-07-22, retrieved 2026-10-29
- Medicare Care Compare — official Medicare profile of this hospital
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder — map position used for distances
From the hospital’s website
Numbers match the citations above. Checked 2026-11-02.
- Watauga Medical Center | Boone, NC | UNC Health Appalachian — unchealthappalachian.org
- Watauga Medical Center Locations — apprhs.org