CMS certification 220110
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115
Brigham and Women's Hospital has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. 81% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. Of the 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 8 and worse on 2. Emergency patients spend a median of 5 h in its emergency department before leaving (US median 2 h 42 min).
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: 666 completed surveys, 23% 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. CMS classes this emergency department's patient volume as very high; busier departments tend to have longer times, so the national median for departments of the same volume is shown too. These are medians over a year of visits, not a live wait time.
| Measure | This hospital | MA | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median time in the emergency department before leaving Lower is better · 348 visits sampled · US median for EDs of the same volume: 3 h 21 min | 5 h | 3 h 34 min | 2 h 42 min |
| Median time for psychiatric and mental health patients Lower is better · 28 visits sampled | 4 h 34 min | 5 h 38 min | 4 h 17 min |
| Left before being seen Lower is better · 64,149 patients | 5% | 4% | 2% |
| Severe sepsis and septic shock: all recommended care given Higher is better · 98 patients | 37% | 56% | 65% |
How Brigham and Women's Hospital 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham and Women's HospitalThis hospital | 5/5 | 81% | 5 h | 8 better 2 worse |
| Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmarySame city | Not rated | 83% | 2 h 54 min | No different |
| Massachusetts General HospitalSame city | 5/5 | 85% | 4 h 48 min | 15 better 4 worse |
| Boston Medical CenterSame city | 3/5 | 73% | 3 h 47 min | 4 better 1 worse |
| Tufts Medical CenterSame city | 2/5 | 79% | 3 h 28 min | 2 better 3 worse |
| New England Baptist HospitalSame city | 5/5 | 86% | — | 2 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 Boston.
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 6,699 cases | Too few cases | 2.1% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 395 cases | Too few cases | 9.1% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 935 cases | Too few cases | 6.7% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 697 cases | Too few cases | 10.1% | 15.2% |
| Stroke 456 cases | Too few cases | 9.5% | 11.9% |
| COPD 155 cases | Too few cases | 6% | 8.6% |
| Heart bypass surgery (CABG) 365 cases | Too few cases | 2.2% | 2.4% |
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 | 0.88 likely 0.74 – 1.01 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 384 cases | Too few cases | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 505 cases | No different | 158.29 per 1,000 likely 133.21 per 1,000 – 183.36 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 21,256 cases | No different | 0.34 per 1,000 likely 0.05 per 1,000 – 0.63 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 21,284 cases | No different | 0.15 per 1,000 likely 0.01 per 1,000 – 0.29 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 24,178 cases | No different | 0.28 per 1,000 likely 0.13 per 1,000 – 0.42 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 8,589 cases | No different | 2.05 per 1,000 likely 1.23 per 1,000 – 2.88 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 5,676 cases | No different | 2.37 per 1,000 likely 1.52 per 1,000 – 3.21 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 5,122 cases | No different | 7.32 per 1,000 likely 5.06 per 1,000 – 9.58 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 9,415 cases | No different | 4.49 per 1,000 likely 3.47 per 1,000 – 5.51 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 5,826 cases | No different | 4.49 per 1,000 likely 3.06 per 1,000 – 5.92 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 2,520 cases | No different | 1.31 per 1,000 likely 0.19 per 1,000 – 2.43 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 6,008 cases | No different | 0.69 per 1,000 likely 0.12 per 1,000 – 1.26 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) | Better | 0.6 likely 0.42 – 0.82 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | Better | 0.71 likely 0.51 – 0.96 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | No different | 0.68 likely 0.39 – 1.12 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy | No different | 0.33 likely 0.02 – 1.64 | 1 |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | Better | 0.51 likely 0.29 – 0.84 | 1 |
| C. diff intestinal infections | Better | 0.51 likely 0.41 – 0.62 | 1 |
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 576 cases | Too few cases | 14.9% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 1,117 cases | Too few cases | 22.1% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 721 cases | Too few cases | 17.1% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 168 cases | Too few cases | 19.9% | 20% |
| Readmitted after heart bypass surgery 250 cases | Too few cases | 10.5% | 11% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 371 cases | Too few cases | 5.6% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 580 cases | Too few cases | 30 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 1,164 cases | Too few cases | 24.9 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 758 cases | Too few cases | 16.7 days per 100 | — |
| Unplanned visits after an outpatient colonoscopy 5,029 cases | No different | 11.5 per 1,000 likely 9.5 per 1,000 – 14 per 1,000 | 13 per 1,000 |
| Hospital admissions during outpatient chemotherapy 175 cases | No different | 7.5 per 100 likely 5.3 per 100 – 10.9 per 100 | 10.7 per 100 |
| ER visits during outpatient chemotherapy 175 cases | No different | 4.6 per 100 likely 3 per 100 – 7.2 per 100 | 5.4 per 100 |
| Unplanned visits after outpatient surgery 2,432 cases | Better | 0.8 likely 0.6 – 0.9 | — |
1 more measure had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
3,491 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 933 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 |
|---|---|
| Internal Medicine | 431 |
| Physician Assistant | 365 |
| Anesthesiology | 301 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 198 |
| Cardiovascular Disease | 127 |
| Physical Therapist | 116 |
| Emergency Medicine | 93 |
| Surgery | 81 |
| Anatomic Pathology | 78 |
| Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology | 76 |
| Radiation Oncology | 72 |
| Clinical | 70 |
First 12 alphabetically
Money from drug and device companies
Drug and device makers have to report what they pay teaching hospitals to CMS's Open Payments program. At many teaching hospitals most of it is research funding, or royalties for inventions the hospital licensed to a company. A payment on its own does not show a conflict of interest.
- 2019 $82.9M
- 2020 $84.7M
- 2021 $66.9M
- 2022 $83.9M
- 2023 $59.9M
- 2024 $58M
- 2025 $59.8M
What the 2025 general payments were for
| Type of payment | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | $5.9M | 43 |
| Speaking, teaching and other services | $3.1M | 30 |
| Royalties and licensing fees | $836,520 | 62 |
| Space rental and facility fees | $426,445 | 29 |
| Consulting fees | $241,950 | 6 |
| Charitable contributions | $236,550 | 8 |
| Medical devices and supplies on long-term loan | $124,436 | 20 |
| Debt forgiveness | $31,991 | 23 |
| Education | $10,618 | 3 |
| Honoraria | $110 | 1 |
Largest paying companies, 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Amgen Inc. | $10.5M | 23 |
| Pfizer INC. | $4.5M | 42 |
| AstraZeneca UK Limited | $4M | 12 |
| Ucb Sa | $3.6M | 6 |
| Kowa Company, LTD. | $3.5M | 2 |
| Kowa Holdings America, Inc. | $3.3M | 234 |
| E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. | $2.7M | 15 |
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $2.7M | 19 |
Largest research studies funded here, 2025
| Study | Amount |
|---|---|
| A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Impact of Maridebart Cafraglutide on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Particip… Amgen Inc. | $4.3M |
| CARDIOVASCULAR, METABOLIC DISEASES AND OTHER LIFESTYLE-RELATED DISEASE MEDICINES. Kowa Holdings America, Inc. | $3.3M |
| Dapagliflozin in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure AstraZeneca UK Limited | $2.6M |
| A PHASE 2 DOUBLEBLIND RANDOMIZED PLACEBOCONTROLLED 4ARM STUDY TO INVESTIGATE SYMPTOMS FUNCTION HEALTHRELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND SAFETY WITH REPEATED… PFIZER INC. | $2.5M |
| A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study Assessing the Impact of Olpasiran on Major Cardiovascular Events in Patients with A… Amgen Inc. | $1.9M |
| a phase 3,radomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of amyloid depleter ALXN2220 in adult parti… Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $1.8M |
| CARDIOVASCULAR, METABOLIC, OPTHALMIC AND OTHER LIFE-STYLE RELATED DISEASE MEDICINES KOWA COMPANY, LTD. | $1.7M |
| A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study Assessing Olpasiran Use to Prevent First Major Cardiovascular Events in Participant… Amgen Inc. | $1.6M |
Amounts are as the paying companies reported them to CMS; Open Payments data retrieved 13 Sep 2026. Full record on CMS Open Payments.
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 Brigham and Women's Hospital
Is Brigham and Women's Hospital a good hospital?
Brigham and Women's Hospital has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Of the 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 8 and worse on 2. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend Brigham and Women's Hospital?
81% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 666 completed HCAHPS surveys.
How long is the wait in the Brigham and Women's Hospital emergency room?
Emergency patients spend a median of 5 h in its emergency department before leaving (US median 2 h 42 min). Among US emergency departments with very high patient volume, like this one, the median is 3 h 21 min. 5% of emergency patients left before being seen (US 2%). These are medians over a year of visits, not a live wait time.
Does Brigham and Women's Hospital receive money from drug and device companies?
Drug and device makers reported $59.8M in payments to Brigham and Women's Hospital for 2025, most of it research funding, under the federal Open Payments program. A payment on its own does not show a conflict of interest.