CMS certification 16003F
VA Central Iowa Healthcare System
3600 30th Street, Des Moines, IA 50310
VA Central Iowa Healthcare System has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. 77% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. Of the 12 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 2 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: 429 completed surveys, 37% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How VA Central Iowa 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 Central Iowa Healthcare SystemThis hospital | 4/5 | 77% | — | 2 better 2 worse |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist MediSame city | 3/5 | 70% | 3 h 2 min | 6 better 3 worse |
| Broadlawns Medical CenterSame city | 3/5 | 77% | 3 h 24 min | 1 better |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterSame city | 1/5 | 57% | 4 h 4 min | 5 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 Des Moines.
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 798 cases | Too few cases | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 31 cases | Too few cases | 11.3% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 207 cases | Too few cases | 13% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 286 cases | Too few cases | 12% | 15.2% |
| COPD 147 cases | Too few cases | 10.1% | 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 | No different | 1.12 likely 0.72 – 1.52 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 73 cases | Too few cases | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 2,654 cases | No different | 0.83 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 1.67 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 3,615 cases | No different | 0.19 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 0.42 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 3,777 cases | No different | 0.37 per 1,000 likely 0.16 per 1,000 – 0.57 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 421 cases | No different | 2.11 per 1,000 likely 0.46 per 1,000 – 3.75 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 242 cases | No different | 1.61 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 3.32 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 253 cases | No different | 9.66 per 1,000 likely 0.64 per 1,000 – 18.68 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 442 cases | No different | 3.46 per 1,000 likely 1.01 per 1,000 – 5.91 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 223 cases | No different | 6.61 per 1,000 likely 2.43 per 1,000 – 10.8 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 83 cases | No different | 1.68 per 1,000 likely 0.19 per 1,000 – 3.18 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 348 cases | No different | 1.25 per 1,000 likely 0.2 per 1,000 – 2.3 per 1,000 | 1.06 per 1,000 |
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 heart failure 161 cases | Too few cases | 21.4% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 225 cases | Too few cases | 17.3% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 117 cases | Too few cases | 20.6% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 76 cases | Too few cases | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 234 cases | Too few cases | -30.2 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 305 cases | Too few cases | -19.9 days per 100 | — |
8 more measures had too few cases here to report.
Not reported for this hospital
CMS had too few cases here to publish results for infections caught in the hospital. That is common at small, rural and specialty hospitals, and says nothing either way about quality.
Clinicians registered at this address
529 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry. 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 | 104 |
| Pharmacist | 53 |
| Clinical | 41 |
| Dietitian, Registered | 20 |
| Family | 17 |
| Internal Medicine | 15 |
| Social Worker | 15 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 14 |
| Case Management | 12 |
| Emergency | 12 |
| Ambulatory Care | 11 |
| Physical Therapist | 11 |
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 Central Iowa Healthcare System
Is VA Central Iowa Healthcare System a good hospital?
VA Central Iowa Healthcare System has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Of the 12 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 2 and worse on 2. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend VA Central Iowa Healthcare System?
77% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 429 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does VA Central Iowa Healthcare System have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at VA Central Iowa Healthcare System.