CMS certification 05114F
VA San Diego Healthcare System
3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161
VA San Diego Healthcare System has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. 74% 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 2.
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: 556 completed surveys, 27% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How VA San Diego 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 San Diego Healthcare SystemThis hospital | 5/5 | 74% | — | 3 better 2 worse |
| NMC San DiegoSame city | Not rated | 77% | 2 h 46 min | — |
| Sharp Memorial HospitalSame city | 4/5 | 81% | 3 h 17 min | 4 better 2 worse |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San DiegoSame city | 4/5 | 77% | — | 3 better |
| Scripps Mercy HospitalSame city | 4/5 | 69% | 3 h 14 min | 4 better 3 worse |
| Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrSame city | 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. All hospitals in San Diego.
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 1,950 cases | Too few cases | 2.8% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 141 cases | Too few cases | 9.5% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 610 cases | Too few cases | 5.2% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 397 cases | Too few cases | 7.1% | 15.2% |
| COPD 224 cases | Too few cases | 5.8% | 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 | No different | 1 likely 0.72 – 1.29 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 83 cases | Too few cases | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 50 cases | No different | 186.43 per 1,000 likely 125.69 per 1,000 – 247.17 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 6,523 cases | No different | 0.59 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 1.2 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 9,626 cases | No different | 0.41 per 1,000 likely 0.21 per 1,000 – 0.61 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 10,083 cases | No different | 0.24 per 1,000 likely 0.05 per 1,000 – 0.43 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 1,949 cases | No different | 3.05 per 1,000 likely 1.74 per 1,000 – 4.36 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,072 cases | No different | 1.58 per 1,000 likely 0.09 per 1,000 – 3.06 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,057 cases | No different | 10.31 per 1,000 likely 4.61 per 1,000 – 16.02 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 1,954 cases | No different | 2.74 per 1,000 likely 0.69 per 1,000 – 4.79 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,059 cases | No different | 4.94 per 1,000 likely 1.73 per 1,000 – 8.15 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 346 cases | No different | 2.21 per 1,000 likely 0.76 per 1,000 – 3.66 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 1,740 cases | No different | 1.03 per 1,000 likely 0.07 per 1,000 – 1.98 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 | 0.62 likely 0.1 – 2.04 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.73 likely 0.23 – 1.76 | 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 98 cases | Too few cases | 15.3% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 533 cases | Too few cases | 22.6% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 349 cases | Too few cases | 18.9% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 178 cases | Too few cases | 21.4% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 65 cases | Too few cases | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 158 cases | Too few cases | 42.7 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 772 cases | Too few cases | 17.3 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 473 cases | Too few cases | 14.6 days per 100 | — |
6 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
783 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 29 residents and trainees. 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 |
|---|---|
| Pharmacist | 118 |
| Clinical | 104 |
| Internal Medicine | 37 |
| Dietitian, Registered | 33 |
| Psychiatry | 30 |
| Physical Therapist | 29 |
| Family | 28 |
| Registered Nurse | 26 |
| Pharmacotherapy | 23 |
| Optometrist | 20 |
| Pharmacist Clinician (PhC)/ Clinical Pharmacy Specialist | 20 |
| Audiologist | 16 |
First 12 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 VA San Diego Healthcare System
Is VA San Diego Healthcare System a good hospital?
VA San Diego 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 2. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend VA San Diego Healthcare System?
74% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 556 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does VA San Diego Healthcare System have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at VA San Diego Healthcare System.