CMS certification 39012F
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr
University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15240
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. 76% 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 3 and worse on 4.
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: 544 completed surveys, 37% response rate, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025.
How VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr 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 Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ DrThis hospital | 4/5 | 76% | — | 3 better 4 worse |
| St Clair HospitalSame city | 4/5 | 73% | 3 h 20 min | 3 better 1 worse |
| UPMC PassavantSame city | 4/5 | 79% | 3 h 17 min | 4 better |
| West Penn HospitalSame city | 3/5 | 77% | 3 h 28 min | 1 better 2 worse |
| UPMC MercySame city | 4/5 | 72% | 3 h 45 min | 3 better 1 worse |
| UPMC St MargaretSame city | 3/5 | 78% | 3 h 53 min | 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 Pittsburgh.
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 2,580 cases | Too few cases | 3.3% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 195 cases | Too few cases | 9.4% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 640 cases | Too few cases | 10.4% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 411 cases | Too few cases | 11.2% | 15.2% |
| COPD 369 cases | Too few cases | 6.9% | 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 | Worse | 1.36 likely 1.1 – 1.62 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 212 cases | Too few cases | 4.3% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 75 cases | No different | 186.42 per 1,000 likely 130.17 per 1,000 – 242.67 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 7,708 cases | Worse | 1.61 per 1,000 likely 1.06 per 1,000 – 2.16 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 10,981 cases | No different | 0.35 per 1,000 likely 0.15 per 1,000 – 0.55 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 11,705 cases | No different | 0.43 per 1,000 likely 0.24 per 1,000 – 0.61 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 2,627 cases | No different | 2.1 per 1,000 likely 0.9 per 1,000 – 3.31 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,471 cases | No different | 1.09 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 2.49 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,475 cases | Worse | 14.59 per 1,000 likely 9.6 per 1,000 – 19.57 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 2,722 cases | No different | 2.9 per 1,000 likely 0.99 per 1,000 – 4.8 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,413 cases | No different | 3.94 per 1,000 likely 0.92 per 1,000 – 6.96 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 688 cases | No different | 1.4 per 1,000 likely 0.04 per 1,000 – 2.77 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 2,043 cases | No different | 1.1 per 1,000 likely 0.2 per 1,000 – 1.99 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 | 0.82 likely 0.36 – 1.61 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | No different | 0.63 likely 0.26 – 1.31 | 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 128 cases | Too few cases | 14.6% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 524 cases | Too few cases | 22.1% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 291 cases | Too few cases | 19.7% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 324 cases | Too few cases | 20.8% | 20% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 216 cases | Too few cases | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 217 cases | Too few cases | 24.9 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 788 cases | Too few cases | 10.7 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 448 cases | Too few cases | 4.7 days per 100 | — |
6 more measures had too few cases here to report.
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 Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr
Is VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr a good hospital?
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Of the 15 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 3 and worse on 4. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr?
76% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 544 completed HCAHPS surveys.
Does VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr have an emergency room?
Yes. CMS lists emergency services at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System - Univ Dr.