CMS certification 390256
Milton S Hershey Medical Center
500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Milton S Hershey Medical Center 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 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 5 and worse on 2. Emergency patients spend a median of 4 h 21 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: 4,740 completed surveys, 26% 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 | PA | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median time in the emergency department before leaving Lower is better · 586 visits sampled · US median for EDs of the same volume: 3 h 21 min | 4 h 21 min | 3 h 6 min | 2 h 42 min |
| Median time for psychiatric and mental health patients Lower is better · 16 visits sampled | 6 h 8 min | 4 h 57 min | 4 h 17 min |
| Left before being seen Lower is better · 81,013 patients | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Severe sepsis and septic shock: all recommended care given Higher is better · 380 patients | 48% | 60% | 65% |
How Milton S Hershey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton S Hershey Medical CenterThis hospital | 4/5 | 77% | 4 h 21 min | 5 better 2 worse |
| UPMC Pinnacle HospitalsSame county · Harrisburg | 4/5 | 73% | 3 h 35 min | 5 better 1 worse |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical CenterSame ZIP area · Enola | 4/5 | 78% | 3 h 16 min | 2 better 1 worse |
| Lebanon VA Medical CenterSame ZIP area · Lebanon | 5/5 | 87% | — | 3 better |
| Wellspan Good Samaritan HospitalSame ZIP area · Lebanon | 5/5 | 60% | 3 h 17 min | 2 better |
| Geisinger-Lewistown HospitalSame ZIP area · Lewistown | 5/5 | 60% | 3 h 1 min | 4 better |
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.
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 4,814 cases | Too few cases | 3.1% | 3.9% |
| Heart attack 123 cases | Too few cases | 12% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure 454 cases | Too few cases | 9.2% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia 318 cases | Too few cases | 10.7% | 15.2% |
| Stroke 532 cases | Too few cases | 9% | 11.9% |
| COPD 119 cases | Too few cases | 9.2% | 8.6% |
| Heart bypass surgery (CABG) 75 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 | 0.87 likely 0.65 – 1.1 | 1 |
| After hip or knee replacement 57 cases | Too few cases | 6% | 4.1% |
| Deaths after a serious but treatable surgical complication 148 cases | No different | 158.43 per 1,000 likely 118.14 per 1,000 – 198.73 per 1,000 | 173.3 per 1,000 |
| Pressure ulcers (bed sores) 7,669 cases | No different | 0.91 per 1,000 likely 0.41 per 1,000 – 1.4 per 1,000 | 0.63 per 1,000 |
| Collapsed lung caused by a procedure 9,208 cases | No different | 0.19 per 1,000 likely 0 per 1,000 – 0.38 per 1,000 | 0.21 per 1,000 |
| Broken bones from falls in the hospital 9,676 cases | No different | 0.25 per 1,000 likely 0.07 per 1,000 – 0.43 per 1,000 | 0.27 per 1,000 |
| Bleeding or hematoma after surgery 2,684 cases | No different | 1.87 per 1,000 likely 0.63 per 1,000 – 3.11 per 1,000 | 2.34 per 1,000 |
| Kidney injury needing dialysis after surgery 1,558 cases | No different | 1.64 per 1,000 likely 0.38 per 1,000 – 2.9 per 1,000 | 1.67 per 1,000 |
| Breathing failure after surgery 1,505 cases | No different | 6.92 per 1,000 likely 2.84 per 1,000 – 11 per 1,000 | 9.42 per 1,000 |
| Blood clots in the lungs or legs after surgery 3,078 cases | No different | 2.51 per 1,000 likely 0.94 per 1,000 – 4.07 per 1,000 | 3.52 per 1,000 |
| Sepsis after surgery 1,484 cases | No different | 2.97 per 1,000 likely 0.35 per 1,000 – 5.59 per 1,000 | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| Surgical wound splitting open 733 cases | No different | 2.36 per 1,000 likely 1.03 per 1,000 – 3.68 per 1,000 | 1.77 per 1,000 |
| Accidental cut or tear during abdominal surgery 2,181 cases | No different | 0.87 per 1,000 likely 0.07 per 1,000 – 1.66 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 | 0.72 likely 0.47 – 1.06 | 1 |
| Urinary tract infections from catheters (CAUTI) | Better | 0.54 likely 0.3 – 0.91 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | Better | 0.44 likely 0.2 – 0.83 | 1 |
| Surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy | No different | 0.56 likely 0.03 – 2.77 | 1 |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | Better | 0.38 likely 0.17 – 0.75 | 1 |
| C. diff intestinal infections | Better | 0.44 likely 0.33 – 0.58 | 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 264 cases | Too few cases | 15.2% | 14.4% |
| Readmitted after heart failure 943 cases | Too few cases | 22.2% | 21.3% |
| Readmitted after pneumonia 596 cases | Too few cases | 17.4% | 17.3% |
| Readmitted after COPD 275 cases | Too few cases | 19.2% | 20% |
| Readmitted after heart bypass surgery 107 cases | Too few cases | 11.7% | 11% |
| Readmitted after hip or knee replacement 56 cases | Too few cases | 6.8% | 5.8% |
| Days back in hospital after a heart attack 144 cases | Too few cases | 8.4 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after heart failure 537 cases | Too few cases | -7.6 days per 100 | — |
| Days back in hospital after pneumonia 348 cases | Too few cases | 6.8 days per 100 | — |
| Unplanned visits after an outpatient colonoscopy 1,007 cases | No different | 13.7 per 1,000 likely 10.7 per 1,000 – 17.9 per 1,000 | 13 per 1,000 |
| Hospital admissions during outpatient chemotherapy 638 cases | Worse | 14.4 per 100 likely 11.9 per 100 – 17.1 per 100 | 10.7 per 100 |
| ER visits during outpatient chemotherapy 638 cases | No different | 5.9 per 100 likely 4.5 per 100 – 7.7 per 100 | 5.4 per 100 |
| Unplanned visits after outpatient surgery 1,346 cases | No different | 0.8 likely 0.7 – 1 | — |
1 more measure had too few cases here to report.
Clinicians registered at this address
2,441 clinicians give this hospital's street address as their practice location in NPPES, the federal provider registry, plus 729 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 |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioner | 199 |
| Physician Assistant | 184 |
| Anesthesiology | 162 |
| Internal Medicine | 106 |
| Emergency Medicine | 100 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 96 |
| Pediatrics | 93 |
| Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Registered | 87 |
| Physical Therapist | 51 |
| Hematology & Oncology | 47 |
| Surgery | 46 |
| Hospitalist | 44 |
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 $1.5M
- 2020 $3.7M
- 2021 $2.3M
- 2022 $1.8M
- 2023 $914,092
- 2024 $1.2M
- 2025 $718,532
What the 2025 general payments were for
| Type of payment | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Medical devices and supplies on long-term loan | $106,311 | 12 |
| Speaking, teaching and other services | $68,975 | 87 |
| Space rental and facility fees | $15,100 | 5 |
| Debt forgiveness | $5,555 | 4 |
| Grants | $750 | 1 |
| Education | $420 | 1 |
Largest paying companies, 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $270,426 | 4 |
| Intuitive Surgical, INC. | $95,200 | 8 |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $76,078 | 6 |
| Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH | $67,800 | 1 |
| M.A. Med Alliance S.A. | $50,528 | 7 |
| Insulet Corporation | $44,500 | 38 |
| Celgene Corporation | $22,317 | 3 |
| Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | $19,975 | 33 |
Largest research studies funded here, 2025
| Study | Amount |
|---|---|
| PHASE IB STUDY OF BRIGATINIB PLUS BEVACIZUMAB IN PATIENTS WITH ALK-REARRANGED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC) WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY PROGRESSED ON PR… Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $270,426 |
| Reducing neoplasia recurrence after endoscopic resection of large colorectal polyps (HAPC-RCT) Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH | $67,800 |
| A Prospective Randomized Single-Blind Multicenter Study to Assess the Safety and Effectiveness of the SELUTION SLR 014 PTCA Drug Eluting Balloon in t… M.A. Med Alliance S.A. | $43,039 |
| A Randomized, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Parallel-group Study, Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Remibrutinib Versus Teriflunomide in Participant… Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $34,668 |
| A Phase IV, Post-Authorization Safety Study to Investigate the Long-Term Safety of lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan in Adult Participants with … Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $25,050 |
| A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Multi-National, Open-Label Extension Study to Evaluate the Long Term Efficacy and Safety of CC-93538 in Adult and Adolescent… Celgene Corporation | $18,582 |
| A Randomized, Parallel-group, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Phase III Trial to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab Administer… Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $15,550 |
| NN7415-4807 Novo Nordisk AS | $13,218 |
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 Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Is Milton S Hershey Medical Center a good hospital?
Milton S Hershey Medical Center has a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Of the 27 death, complication, infection and readmission measures CMS could compare, it does better than the nation on 5 and worse on 2. These are hospital-wide results published by CMS; they do not rate individual doctors or departments.
Would patients recommend Milton S Hershey Medical Center?
77% of patients who answered CMS's national survey would definitely recommend it, against a US average of 71%. The figure comes from 4,740 completed HCAHPS surveys.
How long is the wait in the Milton S Hershey Medical Center emergency room?
Emergency patients spend a median of 4 h 21 min 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. 2% of emergency patients left before being seen (US 2%). These are medians over a year of visits, not a live wait time.
Does Milton S Hershey Medical Center receive money from drug and device companies?
Drug and device makers reported $718,532 in payments to Milton S Hershey 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.