Pearl River County Nursing Home Earns Five Stars in CMS Rating
POPLARVILLE, Miss. – (January 12, 2026) The stars have aligned for Forrest Health’s Pearl River County Nursing Home – all five of them. With the latest update to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Rating system, the nursing home ranked five stars – the best a facility can receive.
“This is a major milestone and true testament to the hard work and dedication our employees put forth every day,” said Shawn Carpenter, nursing home administrator. “I am incredibly proud to be a part of this team. We all know it takes a village, but each of our employees are a vital part of our success and the high-quality care we provide to our residents.”
The Star Quality Rating System is designed to help consumers evaluate the quality of care in nursing homes. It grades facilities based on three main areas – health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. This update gives nursing home teams a clearer and more accurate way to track performance and highlight any areas for improvement. It also allows administrators to better focus on quality initiatives, ensure compliance, and showcase the facility’s strengths. It also helps the staff provide the highest standard of care and positions the facility for continued success.
The Pearl River County Nursing Home has 110 certified beds. The next closest five-star facility is Forrest Health’s Jefferson Davis Nursing Home 86 miles to the north.
“I’m so proud of the Pearl River County Nursing Home team for all the hard work that has gone into making this five-star rating happen,” said Forrest Health President and CEO, Jeff Cook. “This team provides excellent care to our residents and community and the proof is now in the publicly-reported data, as well as what I and others witness on the daily from each of you. Job well done!”
The team at Pearl River has made a conscious effort in many areas in order to improve their rating. Carpenter said he and his team monitor quality measures every quarter then target areas where they can make the most improvements. “Once we come up with an improvement plan, there is consistent monitoring to make sure what we are doing is working,” he said. “If it’s not, we go back to the drawing board. This rating reiterates our team is making a difference.”
For more information, visit forresthealth.org.
ABOUT FORREST HEALTH
Forrest Health is a system of healthcare organizations formed to increase access to quality health care in south Mississippi. Forrest General Hospital is its flagship hospital. In addition to Forrest General, Forrest Health hospitals include: Highland Community Hospital, Picayune; Jefferson Davis Community Hospital & Extended Care Facility, Prentiss; Marion General Hospital, Columbia; Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home, Poplarville; Perry County General Hospital, Richton; and Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown. Forrest Health is also home to The Orthopedic Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, both in Hattiesburg, as well as a variety of healthcare clinics throughout its 19-county coverage area.
