CMS certification 220116
Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111
Tufts Medical Center has a CMS overall rating of 2 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 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 2 and worse on 3. Emergency patients spend a median of 3 h 28 min 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: 488 completed surveys, 20% 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 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 · 352 visits sampled · US median for EDs of the same volume: 3 h 22 min | 3 h 28 min | 3 h 34 min | 2 h 42 min |
| Median time for psychiatric and mental health patients Lower is better · 33 visits sampled | 5 h 8 min | 5 h 38 min | 4 h 17 min |
| Left before being seen Lower is better · 48,362 patients | 4% | 4% | 2% |
| Severe sepsis and septic shock: all recommended care given Higher is better · 294 patients | 36% | 56% | 65% |
How Tufts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufts Medical CenterThis hospital | 2/5 | 79% | 3 h 28 min | 2 better 3 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 |
| Brigham and Women's HospitalSame city | 5/5 | 81% | 5 h | 8 better 2 worse |
| Boston Medical CenterSame city | 3/5 | 73% | 3 h 47 min | 4 better 1 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 2,641 cases | Too few cases | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 99 cases | Too few cases | 11.8% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 298 cases | Too few cases | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 201 cases | Too few cases | 9.8% | 15.2% |
| Stroke 271 cases | Too few cases | 13.2% | 11.9% |
| COPD 82 cases | Too few cases | 7.6% | 8.6% |
| Heart bypass surgery (CABG) 162 cases | Too few cases | 1.5% | 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 | Worse | 1.32 likely 1.06 – 1.57 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 97 cases | Too few cases | 4% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 208 cases | No different | 178.79 per 1,000 likely 145.61 per 1,000 – 211.98 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 5,768 cases | No different | 0.85 per 1,000 likely 0.3 per 1,000 – 1.4 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 7,245 cases | No different | 0.23 per 1,000 likely 0.04 per 1,000 – 0.43 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 7,790 cases | No different | 0.24 per 1,000 likely 0.05 per 1,000 – 0.42 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 2,395 cases | No different | 2.58 per 1,000 likely 1.34 per 1,000 – 3.83 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,181 cases | No different | 2.49 per 1,000 likely 1.13 per 1,000 – 3.85 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,124 cases | No different | 12.92 per 1,000 likely 8.13 per 1,000 – 17.7 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 2,752 cases | No different | 4.25 per 1,000 likely 2.51 per 1,000 – 6 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,182 cases | No different | 7.84 per 1,000 likely 4.8 per 1,000 – 10.88 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 540 cases | No different | 1.76 per 1,000 likely 0.36 per 1,000 – 3.15 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 1,469 cases | No different | 1.13 per 1,000 likely 0.23 per 1,000 – 2.04 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 | 0.62 likely 0.37 – 0.99 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.63 likely 0.35 – 1.06 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | No different | 1.53 likely 0.78 – 2.73 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy | No different | 0.78 likely 0.04 – 3.82 | 1 |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | No different | 1.03 likely 0.57 – 1.72 | 1 |
| C. diff intestinal infections | Better | 0.64 likely 0.47 – 0.86 | 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 233 cases | Too few cases | 16.4% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 492 cases | Too few cases | 21.3% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 366 cases | Too few cases | 18.1% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 138 cases | Too few cases | 20.2% | 20% |
| Readmitted after heart bypass surgery 118 cases | Too few cases | 12.1% | 11% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 86 cases | Too few cases | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 198 cases | Too few cases | 30.8 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 414 cases | Too few cases | 0.3 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 249 cases | Too few cases | 15.6 days per 100 | — |
| Unplanned visits after an outpatient colonoscopy 1,055 cases | No different | 12.4 per 1,000 likely 9.6 per 1,000 – 16.5 per 1,000 | 13 per 1,000 |
| Hospital admissions during outpatient chemotherapy 391 cases | No different | 9.6 per 100 likely 7.5 per 100 – 12.3 per 100 | 10.7 per 100 |
| ER visits during outpatient chemotherapy 391 cases | No different | 5 per 100 likely 3.6 per 100 – 6.8 per 100 | 5.4 per 100 |
| Unplanned visits after outpatient surgery 595 cases | No different | 1 likely 0.8 – 1.3 | — |
1 more measure had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
1,451 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 201 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 | 193 |
| Pediatrics | 83 |
| Physician Assistant | 80 |
| Anesthesiology | 79 |
| Psychiatry | 53 |
| Surgery | 50 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 42 |
| Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Registered | 39 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 30 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 30 |
| Pharmacist | 28 |
| Infectious Disease | 27 |
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 $8M
- 2020 $7.6M
- 2021 $8M
- 2022 $7.8M
- 2023 $9.8M
- 2024 $8.5M
- 2025 $7.7M
What the 2025 general payments were for
| Type of payment | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | $1.6M | 16 |
| Speaking, teaching and other services | $759,470 | 10 |
| Space rental and facility fees | $277,085 | 6 |
| Consulting fees | $95,000 | 2 |
| Royalties and licensing fees | $40,000 | 1 |
| Education | $30,475 | 2 |
| Debt forgiveness | $24,013 | 8 |
| Medical devices and supplies on long-term loan | $14,392 | 18 |
| Gifts | $2,086 | 2 |
| Charitable contributions | $575 | 1 |
Largest paying companies, 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Argenx US, INC. | $837,500 | 13 |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $700,566 | 22 |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC | $675,512 | 10 |
| Genentech, Inc. | $606,317 | 4 |
| Abbvie INC. | $425,006 | 55 |
| Teleflex LLC | $419,500 | 2 |
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $317,822 | 7 |
| Janssen Global Services, LLC | $310,000 | 2 |
Largest research studies funded here, 2025
| Study | Amount |
|---|---|
| A Phase 2, Open-Label, Basket Study of Atrasentan in Patients With Proteinuric Glomerular Diseases Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $417,745 |
| A Phase 2, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Effects of Sotatercept versus Placebo for the Treatment of Combined Pos… Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC | $180,119 |
| This study aims to conduct a comprehensive and up-to-date critical review of the literature on medication adherence in hypertension worldwide, identi… Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. | $178,980 |
| PE Evaluated for PFO and Stroke (PEEPS) OCCLUTECH US LLC | $178,534 |
| A pilot trial of the tolerability and clinical effectiveness of letermovir when used for secondary prophylaxis to prevent recurrent cytomegalovirus d… Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC | $169,811 |
| A Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of LB54640 in Patients With Hypothalamic Obesity Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $127,752 |
| The Role of Evidence in Health Plan Specialty Drug Policies: A Longitudinal Perspective EMD Serono, Inc. | $120,000 |
| ANCHOR AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $115,907 |
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 Tufts Medical Center
Is Tufts Medical Center a good hospital?
Tufts Medical Center has a CMS overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars. Of the 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 2 and worse on 3. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend Tufts Medical Center?
79% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 488 completed HCAHPS surveys.
How long is the wait in the Tufts Medical Center emergency room?
Emergency patients spend a median of 3 h 28 min in its emergency department before leaving (US median 2 h 42 min). Among US emergency departments with high patient volume, like this one, the median is 3 h 22 min. 4% of emergency patients left before being seen (US 2%). These are medians over a year of visits, not a live wait time.
Does Tufts Medical Center receive money from drug and device companies?
Drug and device makers reported $7.7M in payments to Tufts Medical Center 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.