Complications & Deaths Measures
20
CMS-tracked
South Dakota · Acute Care - Veterans Administration
VA Black Hills Healthcare System
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), VA Black Hills Healthcare System ranks #348 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1).
- 5★
- CMS overall rating
- #348 of 3182
- Corpus placement
- 20
- Quality measures
- 6
- Infection types
Data currency: Hospital quality, safety, and patient-experience measures from the CMS Care Compare program (published quarterly), last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
113 Comanche Road, Fort Meade, SD 57741 · Meade County · (605) 347-2511
The verdict
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), VA Black Hills Healthcare System ranks #348 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). Overall CMS stars: 5/5 (above the 3.2-star national average).
- 5 / 5
- CMS overall star rating
- #348 of 3182
- rated-hospital corpus placement
- 0
- measures better than national of 8 compared
- Yes
- emergency department on site
Since the last CMS release
CMS raised this hospital from 4 to 5 stars between its May 2026 and August 2026 releases, a gain of 1.
CMS replaces its file at each release rather than publishing a changelog, so this comparison exists only because the earlier release is kept on file. See what changed nationally.
Where VA Black Hills Healthcare System sits among rated US hospitals
5 Top 12% higher than 88% of 3,182 rated hospitals
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated hospitals. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Hospital Compare, overall hospital rating · 2026-08-14
VA Black Hills Healthcare System vs. South Dakota and the nation
- VA Black Hills Healt…
VA Black Hills Healthcare System
5 stars
- South Dakota avg
South Dakota state average
3.9 stars
- US avg
National average
3.2 stars
What this shows At 5 stars, VA Black Hills Healthcare System rates above the South Dakota average of 3.9 and above the national average of 3.2.
Type
Acute Care - Veterans Administration
Ownership
Veterans Health Administration
Emergency Services
Yes
Birthing Friendly
N/A
Patient Experience
17
HCAHPS domains
Infection Types
6
CDC NHSN
CMS Overall Star Rating 100.0%
5 of 5 stars
Quality profile vs. the national benchmark
Mortality 3 measures
Safety of care 1 measure
Readmission 4 measures
Better than national Same as national Worse than national
Quality Measures
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate | 1.05 | Same as National |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite | 0.96 | Same as National |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for COPD patients | 8.3 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Death rate for heart failure patients | 9.5 | Same as National |
| Death rate for pneumonia patients | 13.7 | Same as National |
| Death rate for stroke patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality Rate | N/A | Not Available |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate | 0.21 | Same as National |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate | 0.31 | Same as National |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate | 3.47 | Same as National |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate | 2.32 | Same as National |
Patient Experience (HCAHPS)
Experience profile vs. the national average
Source: CMS Hospital Compare, HCAHPS patient survey star ratings.
| Survey Question | Star Rating |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Cleanliness - star rating | 5 |
| Communication about medicines - linear mean score | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - star rating | 5 |
| Discharge information - linear mean score | N/A |
| Discharge information - star rating | 4 |
| Doctor communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Doctor communication - star rating | 5 |
| Nurse communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Nurse communication - star rating | 5 |
| Overall hospital rating - linear mean score | N/A |
| Overall hospital rating - star rating | 5 |
| Quietness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Quietness - star rating | 4 |
| Recommend hospital - linear mean score | N/A |
| Recommend hospital - star rating | 5 |
| Summary star rating | 5 |
Safety & Infections
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) | N/A | Not Available |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) | N/A | Not Available |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) | N/A | Not Available |
| MRSA Bacteremia | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Colon Surgery | N/A | Not Available |
Staffing & Spending
Unplanned Visits & Readmissions
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 21 | Same as National |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patients | N/A | Number of Cases Too Small |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patients | 4.7 | Average Days per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patients | 9.4 | Average Days per 100 Discharges |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) | 14.2 | Same as National |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 16.3 | Same as National |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for CABG | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients | 17.7 | Same as National |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) | N/A | Not Available |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery | N/A | Not Available |
Nearby Hospitals in South Dakota
Other Medicare-certified hospitals in South Dakota.
Avera de Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah
De Smet, SD
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Avera Dells Area Hospital - Cah
Dell Rapids, SD
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Avera Flandreau Hospital - Cah
Flandreau, SD
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Avera Gregory Hospital
Gregory, SD
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital and Clinic
Miller, SD
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD
5/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Compare VA Black Hills Healthcare System vs Avera de Smet Memorial Hospital - Cah →
Hospital Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How does VA Black Hills Healthcare System compare to other hospitals on CMS star rating?
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking, VA Black Hills Healthcare System ranks #348 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That ordinal matches our top-rated hospital listing (star_rating DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
What is the CMS star rating for VA Black Hills Healthcare System?
VA Black Hills Healthcare System has an overall CMS star rating of 5 out of 5, above the 3.2-star national average.
How does VA Black Hills Healthcare System perform on quality measures?
0 of 8 compared mortality, safety, and readmission measures rate better than the national average at VA Black Hills Healthcare System; 0 rate worse.
What do patients say about VA Black Hills Healthcare System?
VA Black Hills Healthcare System reports 17 HCAHPS patient-experience domain scores. Star ratings range from 4 to 5 out of 5.
What are the infection rates at VA Black Hills Healthcare System?
VA Black Hills Healthcare System tracks 6 healthcare-associated infection types (CDC NHSN). 0 are better than the national benchmark, 0 are worse, and 0 are at the national average.
Does VA Black Hills Healthcare System have emergency services?
Yes, VA Black Hills Healthcare System provides emergency services.
What type of hospital is VA Black Hills Healthcare System?
VA Black Hills Healthcare System is a Acute Care - Veterans Administration facility with Veterans Health Administration ownership, located in Fort Meade, SD.
Data Sources
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare. Last refreshed from CMS: . About PlainHospital
Read our methodology & full data source list
Share this page
A summary card with the figures from this page. Reuse it with attribution, on the same CC BY 4.0 terms as the citation below.
Measure collection windows on this page span (CMS per-measure dates). The citation vintage above is the portal refresh stamp, not a claim that every measure shares one year. See methodology.
Every figure on PlainHospital is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.