Source: CMS Care Compare, October 2026 releaseER figures are medians, not live waitsAbout the data
Visiting Houston VA Medical Center
- Photo ID and your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
- A list of your medicines, doses and allergies
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- A phone charger
Official links: Website for Houston VA Medical Center (opens the hospital's site)
Nearby hospitals
- 0.7mi University of Texas MD Anderson Center Houston, TX · Emergency room Call University of Texas MD Anderson Center Directions to University of Texas MD Anderson Center (Google Maps) Details for University of Texas MD Anderson Center
- 0.7mi The Institute for Rehab & Res Houston, TX Call The Institute for Rehab & Res Directions to The Institute for Rehab & Res (Google Maps) Details for The Institute for Rehab & Res
- 0.9mi St Lukes Episcopal Hospital Houston, TX · Emergency room · median ER visit 2 hr 32 min Call St Lukes Episcopal Hospital Directions to St Lukes Episcopal Hospital (Google Maps) Details for St Lukes Episcopal Hospital
Quick answers about Houston VA Medical Center
How long is the ER wait at Houston VA Medical Center?
CMS doesn't publish live wait times. Over the 12 months CMS reported, patients treated and sent home spent a median of 2 hr 27 min in the Houston VA Medical Center emergency room (the average across Texas hospitals is 2 hr 26 min). 1% of ER patients left before being seen. For tonight's wait, check the hospital's website (opens the hospital's own site) or call (800) 454-1062. In an emergency, call 911.
What is the phone number for Houston VA Medical Center?
The main phone number for Houston VA Medical Center is (800) 454-1062, from Medicare's hospital records.
Call (800) 454-1062What is the address of Houston VA Medical Center?
Houston VA Medical Center is at 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030.
Directions (opens Google Maps)Does Houston VA Medical Center have an emergency room?
Yes. Houston VA Medical Center has an emergency department, according to Medicare data.
What is Houston VA Medical Center's Medicare star rating?
Houston VA Medical Center has an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Star ratings come from CMS quality and safety measures, not patient reviews.
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of October 2026
Patients treated and sent home from the emergency department at Houston VA Medical Center spend a median of 2 hours 27 minutes there. That is about the same as the average across Texas hospitals (2 hours 26 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 Houston VA Medical Center. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across Texas · How Texas hospitals rank on star ratings · Other VA hospitals in Texas · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What patients say
CMS patient survey (HCAHPS) · 573 completed surveys · patients discharged Jan 2025 – Dec 2025
Patients gave Houston VA Medical Center a 4-star patient experience rating out of 5. 71% would definitely recommend it (U.S. average 71%). 75% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10.
The patient survey (HCAHPS) asks a random sample of adult patients about their recent hospital stay. CMS adjusts the results for the mix of patients and how the survey was done, so hospitals can be compared fairly. About the data.
Compare Houston VA Medical Center
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Of the 2 hospital-acquired infections CMS could compare, Houston VA Medical Center was better than the national benchmark on 1 and worse on 0.
Hospital-acquired infections
Death rates within 30 days
| Patients treated for | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Heart attack patients | 9.4% | 11.9% |
| Heart failure patients | 7.0% | 11.1% |
| Pneumonia patients | 12.3% | 15.2% |
| COPD patients | 5.9% | 8.6% |
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 3.3% | 3.9% |
Risk-adjusted rates. CMS has not published a statistical better/worse comparison for these death rates in the current release, so small differences from the U.S. rate may be chance.
Other complications
None of the other safety indicators CMS compares was statistically better or worse than national.
All 1 complication measures
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complications after hip or knee replacement% of patients | 4.2 | 4.1 | Not compared |
"Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national benchmark statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Infection results compare the infections a hospital reported with the number predicted for a hospital of its size and type (a ratio below 1 means fewer than predicted), for Jan 2025 – Dec 2025. Death and complication rates are risk-adjusted for how sick patients were. Each death rate counts deaths within 30 days of a hospital stay, pooled over one to three years of Medicare patients depending on the measure. About the data.
Readmissions and return visits
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients · Jul 2024 – Jun 2025
Back in the hospital within 30 days
| After a stay for | This hospital | U.S. | CMS comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| All conditions (hospital-wide)Medicare patients back in any hospital within 30 days of leaving. | 16.6% | 16.2% | Not compared |
| Heart attack | 15.4% | 14.4% | Not compared |
| Heart failure | 22.9% | 21.3% | Not compared |
| Pneumonia | 17.9% | 17.3% | Not compared |
| COPD (chronic lung disease) | 21.5% | 20% | Not compared |
| Hip or knee replacement | 6% | 5.8% | Not compared |
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 · Jan 2025 – Dec 2025
Houston VA Medical Center's emergency department is classed by CMS as high volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S.* |
|---|---|---|
| Sepsis: got all recommended early treatmentPatients with severe sepsis or septic shock who received every step of the recommended early care bundle. Higher is better. 151 patients. | 45% | 66% |
| Septic shock: full treatment within 3 hoursHigher is better. 102 patients. | 70% | 75% |
| Stroke: brain scan read within 45 minutes of ER arrivalPatients arriving with stroke symptoms whose head CT or MRI was interpreted within 45 minutes. Higher is better. 14 patients. | 36% | 69% |
| 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. 271 patients. | 147 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 40 patients. | 241 min | 257 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 46,507 patients. | 1% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 5,805 patients. | 83% | 77% |
| 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. 1,793 patients. | 14% | 16% |
| Colonoscopy: right follow-up interval for average-risk patientsHigher is better. 29 patients. | 93% | 93% |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better. 5,735 patients. | 78% | 91%* |
| Blood clot prevention given in intensive careHigher is better. 1,156 patients. | 73% | 97%* |
| Stroke: discharged on clot-prevention medicineHigher is better. 127 patients. | 97% | 98%* |
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.
Care after a stay at Houston VA Medical Center
Medicare-certified providers near this hospital, with their CMS ratings. A hospital discharge planner can make the referral.
Skilled nursing facilities nearby
- 0.5mi St Dominic Village Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Houston, TX · 158 beds Medicare overall 2 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 3 of 5 Abuse citation (CMS)
- 0.6mi Garden Terrace Healthcare Center of Houston Houston, TX · 120 beds Medicare overall 2 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 5 of 5
- 1.0mi The Methodist Hospital SNF Houston, TX · 25 beds Medicare overall 5 of 5 stars · Short-stay quality 5 of 5 · Located in a hospital
Skilled nursing ratings and inspections at Nursing Homes In Each State
Dialysis centers nearby See more
- 0.9mi Medical Center Kidney ClinicHouston, TX
- 0.9mi Children's Memorial Hermann Dialysis CenterHouston, TX Not rated
- 0.9mi DaVita Home at the Museum PDHouston, TX Not rated
Home health agencies nearby See more
- 1.7mi Ipr Healthcare Systems, INCHouston, TX · 82% would recommend
- 1.7mi Algen HealthHouston, TX
- 1.7mi All- Modern Healthcare, INC.Houston, TX Not rated
Hospice care providers nearby See more
- 0.9mi Houston HospiceHouston, TX · 86% would recommend
- 1.7mi Blue Stream Hospice and Palliative Care INCHouston, TX Not rated
- 1.7mi Community First Hospice Care of HoustonHouston, TX Not rated
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Find doctors in Houston
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Houston, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
The area around Houston VA Medical Center
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Parts of Harris are federally designated health professional shortage areas (8 designations). Highest shortage score 18.
Mental health: Parts of Harris are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 15.
Dental: Parts of Harris are federally designated health professional shortage areas (9 designations). Highest shortage score 20.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in Texas earn a median $95,970 a year. Healthcare salaries in Texas.
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. Texas shortage areas
Closest other hospitals
Healthcare pay in Texas
Registered nurses across Texas (all employers) earned a median of $95,970 a year (BLS, May 2025).Registered Nurse (RN) salary in TexasNurse Practitioner salary in TexasRespiratory Therapist salary in TexasHealthcare salaries in Texas
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Cite this data
Writing about Houston VA Medical Center? You're welcome to quote these figures. They are free to use under CC BY 4.0: please credit HospitalsInEachState.com and link to this page.