Complications & Deaths Measures
20
CMS-tracked
Utah · Acute Care - Veterans Administration
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center ranks #1287 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1).
- 4★
- CMS overall rating
- Top 42%
- national star rank
- #1287 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.
500 Foothill Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT 84148 · Salt Lake County · (801) 584-1211
The verdict
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center ranks #1287 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That corpus rank reflects an above-median CMS star rating nationally, with 2 quality measures beating the national benchmark.
- Top 42%
- CMS star rating vs 3,182 rated US hospitals
- #1287 of 3182
- rated-hospital corpus placement
- 2
- measures better than national of 15 compared
- Yes
- emergency department on site
Since the last CMS release
CMS lowered this hospital from 5 to 4 stars between its May 2026 and August 2026 releases, a fall 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 Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center sits among rated US hospitals
4 Top 42% higher than 58% of 3,182 rated hospitals
CMS star rating (1–5 stars), bucketed by value
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 and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Hospital Compare, overall hospital rating · 2026-08-14
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center vs. Utah and the nation
- VA Salt Lake City He…
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center
4 stars
- Utah avg
Utah state average
4.2 stars
- US avg
National average
3.2 stars
What this shows At 4 stars, VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center rates below the Utah average of 4.2 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 80.0%
4 of 5 stars
Star-band quality profile for VA Salt Lake City Healthcare
Mortality 5 measures
Safety of care 4 measures
Readmission 6 measures
Better than national Same as national Worse than national
Quality Measures
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate | 1.41 | Same as National |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite | 0.94 | Same as National |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications | 197.43 | Same as National |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patients | N/A | Not Available |
| Death rate for COPD patients | 8.2 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart attack patients | 9.2 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart failure patients | 7.4 | Better than National |
| Death rate for pneumonia patients | 13.2 | 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 | 0.4 | Same as National |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate | 0.34 | Same as National |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate | 3.47 | Same as National |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate | 2.48 | Same as National |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate | 3.4 | 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 | 4 |
| Communication about medicines - linear mean score | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - star rating | 4 |
| Discharge information - linear mean score | N/A |
| Discharge information - star rating | 5 |
| 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 | 4 |
| 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) | 2.648 | Same as National |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) | 0.754 | Same as National |
| 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 | 13.5 | Same as National |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 18.8 | Same as National |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patients | 6.4 | Average Days per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patients | -0.9 | Average Days per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patients | -42 | Fewer Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) | 14 | Same as National |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 13.9 | 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 | 3.8 | Same as National |
| Rate of readmission for CABG | N/A | Not Available |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients | 18.1 | 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 |
Nationwide hospitals with similar CMS profiles
Peer sets for VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center outside Utah, keyed first to the high CMS star band.
Similar CMS star rating
Nearest overall stars outside UT (4/5 here).
Similar mortality outcomes
Nearest mortality measures rated better than national, outside UT (1 better here).
Nearby Hospitals in Utah
Other Medicare-certified hospitals in Utah.
One of 51 Medicare-certified hospitals in Utah, 6 are shown here.
American Fork Hospital
American Fork, UT
4/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Ashley Regional Medical Center
Vernal, UT
4/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital
Orem, UT
No rating Psychiatric
Bear River Valley Hospital
Tremonton, UT
No rating Acute Care Hospitals
Beaver Valley Hospital
Beaver, UT
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Blue Mountain Hospital
Blanding, UT
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Frequently Asked Questions
How does VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center compare to other hospitals on CMS star rating?
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking, VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center ranks #1287 of 3182 rated US hospitals (high-band tercile among 3,182 rated facilities). Sort basis: star_rating DESC - see /methodology#corpus-placement.
What is the CMS star rating for VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center?
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center has an overall CMS star rating of 4 out of 5 (high-band), above the 3.2-star national average.
How does VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center perform on quality measures?
2 of 15 compared mortality, safety, and readmission measures rate better than the national average at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center; 0 rate worse.
What do patients say about VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center?
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center reports 17 HCAHPS patient-experience domain scores. Star ratings range from 4 to 5 out of 5.
What are the infection rates at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center?
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center tracks 6 healthcare-associated infection types (CDC NHSN). 0 are better than the national benchmark, 0 are worse, and 2 are at the national average.
Does VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center have emergency services?
Yes, VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center provides emergency services.
What type of hospital is VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center?
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare - George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center is a Acute Care - Veterans Administration facility with Veterans Health Administration ownership, located in Salt Lake City, UT.
Read our methodology & full data source list · Source: CMS Hospital Compare · measure windows