CMS certification 06005F
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System
1700 North Wheeling Street, Aurora, CO 80045
VA Eastern Colorado 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 4 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: 566 completed surveys, 34% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How VA Eastern Colorado 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 Eastern Colorado Healthcare SystemThis hospital | 5/5 | 79% | — | 4 better 1 worse |
| University of Colorado Hospital AuthoritySame city | 5/5 | 77% | 1 h 42 min | 7 better 1 worse |
| The Medical Center of Aurora & South HospitalSame city | 4/5 | 58% | 2 h 14 min | 4 better 3 worse |
| HCA Healthone Mountain RidgeSame county · Thornton | 3/5 | 52% | 2 h 6 min | 1 better 1 worse |
| Intermountain Health Platte Valley HospitalSame county · Brighton | 3/5 | 71% | 2 h 46 min | 1 better |
| Intermountain Health Lutheran HospitalSame ZIP area · Wheat Ridge | 4/5 | 80% | 3 h 14 min | 4 better |
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 Aurora.
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 1,671 cases | Too few cases | 2.8% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 54 cases | Too few cases | 10.6% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 307 cases | Too few cases | 6.3% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 254 cases | Too few cases | 10.5% | 15.2% |
| COPD 202 cases | Too few cases | 6.2% | 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 | 0.9 likely 0.6 – 1.2 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 80 cases | Too few cases | 4.9% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 53 cases | No different | 171.16 per 1,000 likely 113.32 per 1,000 – 229 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 4,273 cases | No different | 0.15 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 0.81 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 7,072 cases | No different | 0.22 per 1,000 likely 0.01 per 1,000 – 0.42 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 7,457 cases | No different | 0.36 per 1,000 likely 0.17 per 1,000 – 0.55 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 1,925 cases | No different | 2.47 per 1,000 likely 1.16 per 1,000 – 3.78 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,280 cases | No different | 1.64 per 1,000 likely 0.12 per 1,000 – 3.15 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,247 cases | No different | 10.79 per 1,000 likely 4.67 per 1,000 – 16.91 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 1,978 cases | No different | 2.42 per 1,000 likely 0.37 per 1,000 – 4.47 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,305 cases | No different | 6.57 per 1,000 likely 3.47 per 1,000 – 9.68 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 421 cases | No different | 1.6 per 1,000 likely 0.14 per 1,000 – 3.05 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 1,527 cases | No different | 0.79 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 1.74 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 | 0.26 likely 0.01 – 1.29 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.67 likely 0.17 – 1.82 | 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 43 cases | Too few cases | 14.7% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 252 cases | Too few cases | 20% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 214 cases | Too few cases | 16.7% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 158 cases | Too few cases | 19.3% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 72 cases | Too few cases | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 62 cases | Too few cases | -9.1 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 371 cases | Too few cases | -35.1 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 313 cases | Too few cases | -20.4 days per 100 | — |
6 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
491 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 10 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 |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | 73 |
| Clinical | 49 |
| Pharmacist | 39 |
| Physical Therapist | 22 |
| Internal Medicine | 21 |
| Social Worker | 20 |
| Occupational Therapist | 17 |
| Audiologist | 13 |
| General Practice | 12 |
| Family | 9 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health | 9 |
| Dietitian, Registered | 8 |
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 Eastern Colorado Healthcare System
Is VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System a good hospital?
VA Eastern Colorado 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 4 and worse on 1. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend VA Eastern Colorado 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 566 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System.