VA Central Iowa Healthcare System

3600 30th Street, Des Moines, IA 50310 · (515) 699-5999

VA hospitalVeterans Health AdministrationEmergency room

VA Central Iowa Healthcare System is a Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, Iowa (Polk County). It has an emergency room and holds 4 of 5 stars in CMS's overall quality rating. In CMS's patient survey it scores 4 of 5 stars, and 77% of patients said they would definitely recommend it.

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★★★★★CMS overall quality rating

★★★★★patients' own rating (429 surveys)

Quality and patient experience

What patients say

★★★★★4 of 5 · 429 surveys

77%would definitely recommend the hospital US typical 71%

76%rated the hospital 9 or 10 out of 10 US typical 72%

Rated by patients

Nurses communicated well★★★★★
Doctors communicated well★★★★★
Staff explained medicines★★★★★
Information for going home★★★★★
Room was clean★★★★★
Quiet at night★★★★★

Deaths within 30 days of admission lower is better

Heart attack

11.3%

Heart failure

13.0%

Pneumonia

12.0%

COPD

10.1%

Back in the hospital within 30 days lower is better

Heart failure

21.4%

Pneumonia

17.3%

Hip or knee replacement

5.4%

Infections and complications lower is better

Complications after hip or knee replacement

4.5%

Serious complications (CMS safety index)

1.12

≈ Same as US

US typical hospital. Infection figures are a ratio: 1.00 means as many infections as expected for a hospital like this one. CMS adjusts these rates for how sick the patients are; a small gap from the typical hospital can be chance, so a verdict is shown only where CMS gives one.

Source: CMS Care Compare, measurement periods ending up to September 2025.

Cash and insurer prices for this hospital haven't been added yet. Every US hospital must publish them; search the hospital's website for "price transparency" or "standard charges".

This hospital has no Medicare stay data for 2024. Medicare data covers mostly patients 65 and older, so psychiatric, children's and very small hospitals often don't appear.

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