- Time ZoneMST
- CountyArchuleta
- Emergency CapableYes
- FIPS8007
- Area Code970
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients spend an average of 2 hours 21 minutes in the emergency department at Pagosa Mountain Hospital. That is about the same as the Colorado average of 2 hours 19 minutes.
Source: CMS Hospital General Information and Timely & Effective Care. Wait times are a median over a past 12-month reporting period, not live data. Not affiliated with CMS or with Pagosa Mountain Hospital. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across Colorado · Other Critical Access hospitals in Colorado · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
Readmissions and return visits
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients
On the 2 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Pagosa Mountain Hospital was no different from the national rate or its expected level.
Return trips after a stay or procedure
Readmission rates count Medicare patients who were admitted to any acute-care hospital within 30 days of leaving this one, adjusted for how sick they were. "Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national rate statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Return-day and outpatient-surgery measures compare the hospital with what CMS expected for its own patients. The Readmissions Reduction Program ratios are shown as CMS publishes them; whether a hospital's payments are reduced depends on how its ratios compare with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone doesn't mean a penalty. About the data.
Timely and effective care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Pagosa Mountain Hospital's emergency department is classed by CMS as low volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S.* |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time in the ER before going homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving, for ER patients sent home (not counting mental health patients or transfers). Lower is better. 386 patients. | 141 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 18 patients. | 160 min | 257 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 35 patients. | 290 min | 287 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 8,104 patients. | 2% | 2% |
| Discharged on two opioids, or an opioid and a benzodiazepinePatients sent home with prescriptions that raise the risk of overdose when combined. Lower is better. 44 patients. | 14% | 15% |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better. 123 patients. | 89% | 90%* |
CMS publishes these process-of-care measures without a better/worse verdict, so the U.S. figure is shown for context; small differences, or results based on few patients, may not mean much. *Median of all hospitals CMS reports, where CMS publishes no national figure. About the data.
Federal rules require hospitals to publish their prices, including the rates they've negotiated with each insurer and their cash prices. Pagosa Mountain Hospital lists them here:
From the hospital's price transparency file (www.pagosaspringsmedicalcenter.org/cms-hpt.txt), checked Oct 10, 2026. For an estimate of what you'll pay, ask the hospital or your insurer; Medicare's averages are on our procedure cost pages.
Size and finances
Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Dec 2024
As reported by the hospital to CMS; not audited. Operating margin is income from patient care divided by net patient revenue and leaves out investment income and donations. Compare Colorado hospital finances.
Who owns Pagosa Mountain Hospital
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Upper San Juan Health Service District, a non-profit organization.
144 doctors and other clinicians list Pagosa Mountain Hospital as a hospital affiliation in Medicare's clinician directory.
Organizations with 5% or more ownership (directly or through other companies), partnership interests or operational control, as the hospital reported them to Medicare. Records can lag behind recent sales. Individuals are not listed. Who owns America's hospitals.
The area around Pagosa Mountain Hospital
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Archuleta is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 12.
Mental health: Archuleta is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 18.
Dental: Parts of Archuleta are federally designated health professional shortage areas (2 designations). Highest shortage score 14.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in Colorado earn a median $100,260 a year. Healthcare salaries in Colorado.
Shortage areas are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration where there are too few primary care, mental health or dental providers for the population; scores run from 0 to 25 for primary and mental health care and 0 to 26 for dental care, higher meaning greater need. Colorado shortage areas