CMS certification 03013F
VA S. Arizona Healthcare System
3601 South Sixth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723
VA S. Arizona Healthcare System has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. 79% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. Of the 15 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 3 and worse on 1.
Every figure on this page is published by CMS; we arrange and explain it, and score nothing ourselves.
What patients said
Answers from patients who stayed here, collected by CMS in the national HCAHPS survey: 487 completed surveys, 37% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How VA S. Arizona Healthcare System compares with nearby hospitals
The closest hospitals of the same kind that CMS rates or surveys - the same city first, then the same county and ZIP area. Every figure is CMS's: the overall star rating, the share of patients who would definitely recommend the hospital, the median time emergency patients spent before leaving, and how many death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS found better or worse than the national rate.
| Hospital | CMS stars | Would recommend | ER median time | Vs the nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA S. Arizona Healthcare SystemThis hospital | 5/5 | 79% | — | 3 better 1 worse |
| Banner - University Medical Center Tucson CampusSame city | 3/5 | 68% | 5 h 11 min | 6 better |
| Banner-University Medical Center South CampusSame city | 4/5 | 56% | 4 h 20 min | 1 better |
| Tucson Medical CenterSame city | 2/5 | 70% | 3 h 22 min | 3 better 5 worse |
| St Joseph's HospitalSame city | 3/5 | 50% | 2 h 45 min | 3 better 1 worse |
| Northwest Medical CenterSame city | 2/5 | 48% | 3 h 44 min | 3 better 1 worse |
Hospitals differ in size and in how sick their patients are. CMS adjusts its outcome measures for that, but a star or a percentage is a starting point for questions, not a verdict. All hospitals in Tucson.
Deaths
How many patients died within 30 days of admission, adjusted by CMS for how sick they were. Lower is better. Data from Jul 2022 – Jun 2025.
| Measure | CMS comparison | This hospital | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| All patients, hospital-wide 2,925 cases | Too few cases | 3.8% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 182 cases | Too few cases | 11.5% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 638 cases | Too few cases | 6.8% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 748 cases | Too few cases | 11.7% | 15.2% |
| COPD 363 cases | Too few cases | 6.1% | 8.6% |
2 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Complications
How often patients had serious complications, most of them after surgery, adjusted for how sick they were. Lower is better. Data from Jul 2022 – Jun 2024.
| Measure | CMS comparison | This hospital | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious complications, combined measure | Worse | 1.29 likely 1.01 – 1.58 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 260 cases | Too few cases | 3.2% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 78 cases | No different | 160.02 per 1,000 likely 104.95 per 1,000 – 215.1 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 7,562 cases | Worse | 1.51 per 1,000 likely 0.93 per 1,000 – 2.09 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 10,903 cases | No different | 0.34 per 1,000 likely 0.14 per 1,000 – 0.53 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 11,520 cases | No different | 0.33 per 1,000 likely 0.14 per 1,000 – 0.52 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 2,039 cases | No different | 1.95 per 1,000 likely 0.63 per 1,000 – 3.28 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,001 cases | No different | 1.66 per 1,000 likely 0.13 per 1,000 – 3.19 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,147 cases | No different | 11.42 per 1,000 likely 5.41 per 1,000 – 17.43 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 2,076 cases | No different | 2.86 per 1,000 likely 0.87 per 1,000 – 4.85 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,065 cases | No different | 4.77 per 1,000 likely 1.43 per 1,000 – 8.12 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 581 cases | No different | 1.41 per 1,000 likely 0.04 per 1,000 – 2.79 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 1,912 cases | No different | 1.37 per 1,000 likely 0.45 per 1,000 – 2.29 per 1,000 | 1.06 per 1,000 |
Infections caught in the hospital
Standardized infection ratio: 1.0 means as many infections as CMS predicted for a hospital like this one. Lower is better. Data from Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
| Measure | CMS comparison | This hospital | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodstream infections from central lines (CLABSI) | No different | 0 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | Better | 0 | 1 |
4 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Readmissions and return visits
How often patients had to come back to a hospital after going home. Lower is better. Data from Jul 2023 – Jun 2025.
| Measure | CMS comparison | This hospital | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Readmitted after a heart attack 148 cases | Too few cases | 14.3% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 523 cases | Too few cases | 22.1% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 569 cases | Too few cases | 18.1% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 291 cases | Too few cases | 22.4% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 262 cases | Too few cases | 5.3% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 191 cases | Too few cases | 5.8 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 751 cases | Too few cases | 3.8 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 837 cases | Too few cases | 13.7 days per 100 | — |
6 more measures had too few cases here to report.
How to read this page
- Everything here is published by CMS on Care Compare. We arrange it and explain it; the star ratings and the better / worse verdicts are CMS's, not ours.
- “No different” is the most common result on most measures at most hospitals. CMS only calls a result better or worse when the difference from the national rate is statistically clear.
- Death, complication and readmission rates are adjusted by CMS for how sick patients were, so hospitals that treat sicker patients can be compared fairly.
- Infection results are ratios: 1.0 means as many infections as CMS predicted for a hospital like this one, below 1.0 is fewer.
- These are hospital-wide results. They do not rate an individual doctor, nurse or department, and they are not medical advice.
CMS Care Compare data retrieved 4 Oct 2026, refreshed weekly. Where this data comes from and how we handle it · Report an error
Common questions about VA S. Arizona Healthcare System
Is VA S. Arizona Healthcare System a good hospital?
VA S. Arizona Healthcare System has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Of the 15 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 3 and worse on 1. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend VA S. Arizona Healthcare System?
79% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 487 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does VA S. Arizona Healthcare System have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at VA S. Arizona Healthcare System.