CMS certification 09002F
Washington DC VA Medical Center
50 Irving Street N.W., Washington, DC 20422
Washington DC VA Medical Center has a CMS overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars. 58% 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 3.
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: 550 completed surveys, 22% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How Washington DC VA Medical Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC VA Medical CenterThis hospital | 3/5 | 58% | — | 4 better 3 worse |
| Howard University Hospital CorpSame city | 1/5 | 51% | 3 h 42 min | 3 worse |
| George Washington Univ HospitalSame city | 2/5 | 64% | 5 h 45 min | 2 better 3 worse |
| United Medical CenterSame city | 3/5 | — | 4 h 24 min | No different |
| Sibley Memorial HospitalSame city | 5/5 | 80% | 5 h 10 min | 3 better |
| Medstar Washington Hospital CenterSame city | 3/5 | 62% | 6 h 17 min | 7 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 Washington.
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 1,753 cases | Too few cases | 3.2% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 63 cases | Too few cases | 11.9% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 545 cases | Too few cases | 7.4% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 227 cases | Too few cases | 12.1% | 15.2% |
| COPD 211 cases | Too few cases | 4.3% | 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 | 1.09 likely 0.78 – 1.39 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 53 cases | Too few cases | 4.3% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 52 cases | No different | 176.63 per 1,000 likely 117.46 per 1,000 – 235.81 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 5,810 cases | Worse | 1.57 per 1,000 likely 0.91 per 1,000 – 2.22 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 8,664 cases | No different | 0.16 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 0.37 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 9,163 cases | No different | 0.28 per 1,000 likely 0.09 per 1,000 – 0.47 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 1,406 cases | No different | 2.08 per 1,000 likely 0.71 per 1,000 – 3.45 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 780 cases | No different | 1.25 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 2.75 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 846 cases | No different | 4.44 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 10.56 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 1,405 cases | No different | 2.79 per 1,000 likely 0.59 per 1,000 – 4.99 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 831 cases | No different | 5.57 per 1,000 likely 2.16 per 1,000 – 8.98 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 260 cases | No different | 1.65 per 1,000 likely 0.17 per 1,000 – 3.13 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 1,122 cases | No different | 0.89 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 1.9 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) | Worse | 3.01 likely 1.4 – 5.72 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.49 likely 0.08 – 1.6 | 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 40 cases | Too few cases | 15.1% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 498 cases | Too few cases | 21.3% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 173 cases | Too few cases | 18.6% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 170 cases | Too few cases | 19.4% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 38 cases | Too few cases | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 71 cases | Too few cases | 25.7 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 744 cases | Too few cases | 7.4 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 249 cases | Too few cases | 65 days per 100 | — |
6 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
685 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 28 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 |
|---|---|
| Clinical | 99 |
| Pharmacist | 65 |
| Internal Medicine | 43 |
| Occupational Therapist | 31 |
| Physical Therapist | 28 |
| Social Worker | 28 |
| Dietitian, Registered | 25 |
| Family | 18 |
| Pharmacist Clinician (PhC)/ Clinical Pharmacy Specialist | 17 |
| Adult Health | 16 |
| Audiologist | 15 |
| Psychiatry | 13 |
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 Washington DC VA Medical Center
Is Washington DC VA Medical Center a good hospital?
Washington DC VA Medical Center has a CMS overall rating of 3 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 3. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend Washington DC VA Medical Center?
58% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 550 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does Washington DC VA Medical Center have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at Washington DC VA Medical Center.