Fargo VA Medical Center vs Astera Health vs Milbank Area Hospital/Avera Health - CAH
Side by side on Medicare (CMS) ratings, patient survey results, ER times, infections, readmissions and more.
| 3 hospitals | Fargo VA Medical Center Fargo, ND ✕ Remove | Astera Health Wadena, MN ✕ Remove | Milbank Area Hospital/Avera Health - CAH Milbank, SD ✕ Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Location | Fargo, ND | Wadena, MN | Milbank, SD |
| Hospital type | VA | Critical Access | Critical Access |
| Ownership | Veterans Health Administration | Voluntary Non-Profit - Other | Voluntary Non-Profit - Private |
| Emergency room | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ratings | |||
| CMS overall star ratingMedicare's summary of quality measures | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 | – |
| Patient survey ratingHCAHPS summary star rating | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| Would definitely recommend | 88% of patients | 72% of patients | 76% of patients |
| Nurse communicationPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | – |
| Doctor communicationPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| Communication about medicinesPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| Discharge informationPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| CleanlinessPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| Quiet at nightPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | – |
| Overall hospital ratingPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | – |
| Would recommendPatient survey stars | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 | – |
| Google rating | – | 5.0 of 5 (162 reviews) | 4.0 of 5 (6 reviews) |
| Emergency room | |||
| Typical ER visitMedian minutes, patients sent home | – | 2 hr 18 min | 2 hr 6 min |
| Left before being seen | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| ER volume | Low | Low | Low |
| Safety | |||
| Serious complications (PSI 90) | Same as national | – | – |
| Death rate: Heart failure patientsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | 9.2% | 13.3% | – |
| Death rate: Pneumonia patientsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | 11.5% | 14.9% | 14.7% |
| Death rate: COPD patientsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | 7.1% | – | – |
| Death rate: Hospital-wide, all conditionsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | 3.2% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Readmissions | |||
| Readmitted: Heart failureWithin 30 days | 21.9% | 21.4% | – |
| Readmitted: PneumoniaWithin 30 days | 17.7% | 17.1% | 16.9% |
| Readmitted: COPD (chronic lung disease)Within 30 days | 21.1% | – | – |
| Readmitted: Hip or knee replacementWithin 30 days | 6.4% | 6.3% | – |
| Extra days back in hospital after heart failure | +23 | +29.9 | – |
| Extra days back in hospital after pneumonia | +0.4 | +39.9 | -39.4 |
| Hospital visits within 7 days of an outpatient colonoscopy | – | – | 13 Same as national |
| Timely care | |||
| Sepsis: got all recommended early treatmentHigher is better | 71% | – | – |
| Typical time in the ER before going homeLower is better | – | 138 min | 126 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeLower is better | – | 296 min | 234 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityLower is better | – | 278 min | 237 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better | 91% | 64% | 82% |
| Discharged on two opioids, or an opioid and a benzodiazepineLower is better | – | 8% | 34% |
| Colonoscopy: right follow-up interval for average-risk patientsHigher is better | 72% | – | – |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better | 85% | 96% | – |
| Blood clot prevention given in intensive careHigher is better | 76% | – | – |
| Maternity | |||
| Maternity safety practices (CMS SM-7) | – | Yes | – |
| Birthing-friendly designation | – | Yes | – |
"Better" or "worse" means CMS found a statistically significant difference from the national rate. Figures without a verdict are shown for context; small differences may be chance. A dash means CMS has no result for that hospital, often because it treats too few patients for that measure. About the data.
How to compare hospitals
Start with the CMS overall star rating, which rolls up deaths, safety, readmissions, patient experience and timely care. Then look at the measures that matter for your situation: infection and complication results before surgery, maternity measures if you're expecting, and ER times for emergencies.
Most hospitals are "no different from national" on most measures. A single "worse" result covers one measure over a past period; ask the hospital about it rather than ruling it out. In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.