CMS certification 050855
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos
360 Rush Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. 88% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. On all 8 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it is no different from the national rate.
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: 559 completed surveys, 25% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
Emergency department
How long emergency patients spent here and how some time-critical care went, from CMS's timely and effective care measures, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025. These are medians over a year of visits, not a live wait time.
| Measure | This hospital | CA | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe sepsis and septic shock: all recommended care given Higher is better · 230 patients | 76% | 70% | 65% |
How Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San MarcosThis hospital | 4/5 | 88% | — | No different |
| Palomar Medical Center PowaySame county · Poway | 4/5 | 61% | 3 h 20 min | 2 better |
| Tri-City Medical CenterSame county · Oceanside | 1/5 | 52% | 4 h 8 min | 2 better 1 worse |
| NH Camp PendletonSame county · Camp Pendleton | Not rated | 75% | 2 h 28 min | — |
| Scripps Mercy HospitalSame county · San Diego | 4/5 | 69% | 3 h 14 min | 4 better 3 worse |
| Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrSame county · San Diego | 5/5 | 75% | 4 h 19 min | 10 better 2 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.
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 1,689 cases | Too few cases | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| Stroke 85 cases | Too few cases | 11.9% | 11.9% |
5 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 | No different | 0.99 likely 0.48 – 1.5 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 25 cases | Too few cases | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 109 cases | No different | 0.6 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 1.91 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 152 cases | No different | 0.21 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 0.45 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 155 cases | No different | 0.27 per 1,000 likely 0.05 per 1,000 – 0.49 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 31 cases | No different | 1.05 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 2.14 per 1,000 | 1.06 per 1,000 |
7 more measures had too few cases here to report.
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 | 1.16 likely 0.19 – 3.83 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.38 likely 0.02 – 1.87 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | No different | 1.01 likely 0.26 – 2.75 | 1 |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | No different | 1.38 likely 0.23 – 4.56 | 1 |
| C. diff intestinal infections | No different | 0.73 likely 0.42 – 1.2 | 1 |
1 more measure 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 39 cases | Too few cases | 14.2% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 333 cases | Too few cases | 22.6% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 350 cases | Too few cases | 16.8% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 90 cases | Too few cases | 19.4% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 28 cases | Too few cases | 5.6% | 5.8% |
9 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
11 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 1 resident or trainee. The same address can take in offices and clinics in the building, and a listing does not prove admitting privileges or current employment.
| Specialty | Clinicians |
|---|---|
| Clinical | 2 |
| Pharmacist | 2 |
| Dietitian, Registered | 1 |
| Institutional Pharmacy | 1 |
| Lactation Consultant | 1 |
| Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine | 1 |
| Occupational Therapist | 1 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | 1 |
| Vascular & Interventional Radiology | 1 |
First 11 alphabetically
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 Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos
Is Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos a good hospital?
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. On all 8 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it is no different from the national rate. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos?
88% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 559 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos.