Facility Information

📋 Quick Reference

  • Hospital Type: Acute Care - Veterans Administration
  • Ownership: Veterans Health Administration
  • Address: 5500 E. Kellog, Wichita, KS 67218
  • County: Sedgwick County
  • Phone: (316) 685-2221
  • Emergency Services: Yes
  • Birth-Friendly Designation: Not designated

Wichita Va Medical Center performs above average across most federal quality benchmarks, earning a SafeHospitals USA Safety Score of 7.5/10 (Grade B — Good). CMS 2024 data shows strong performance in multiple safety and outcome measures. While not flawless, this hospital delivers care that compares well against regional peers.

How Wichita Va Medical Center Compares Nationally

Using the 2024 CMS Hospital Compare dataset — the federal government's official source for hospital quality — we analyzed performance across five quality measures. Here is what the data shows for this facility:

2 Better / 0 Worse
Mortality Measures
0 Better / 0 Worse
Safety Measures
2 Better / 0 Worse
Readmission Rates

Patient Experience & Survey Data

Patient experience surveys (HCAHPS) ask discharged patients about their hospital stay — communication with nurses and doctors, responsiveness of staff, cleanliness, and overall rating. CMS collected 441 completed surveys from Wichita Va Medical Center patients for the 2024 reporting period.

Survey Rating: ★★★★★ Patient Experience (5.0/5)

Timely Care Score: 0.0 (national average: ~80.0)

Infection Control Performance

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are among the most preventable patient safety risks. CMS tracks six HAI measures including central line infections, catheter-related urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and C. difficile rates. This facility has 0 HAI measures performing better than the national benchmark.

This facility does not currently outperform HAI benchmarks in the 2024 CMS dataset. This is a important concern for patients scheduled for surgery, catheter procedures, or extended ICU stays. Ask your care team about infection prevention protocols.

Recovery & Hospital Return Days

This section shows whether discharged patients spent extra days back in the hospital within 30 days of leaving, compared to the national average. Fewer days indicate a safer discharge process and a better recovery at home:

  • Heart Failure Patients: Patients spent average of 26.2 fewer days in the hospital after discharge (better than average).
  • Pneumonia Patients: Patients spent average of 6.3 extra days in the hospital after discharge (worse than average).
  • Heart Attack Patients: Patients spent average of 46.6 fewer days in the hospital after discharge (better than average).

FAQs

Q. What is the safety grade of WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER?
WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER has a SafeHospitals USA safety grade of B with a safety score of 7.5/10, based on federal CMS quality data. This grade is calculated from hospital safety indicators, infection control performance, and mortality measures.
Q. Is WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER designated as Birth-Friendly?
No, WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER is not currently designated as Birth-Friendly by Medicare, and maternal quality data is not available for this facility.
Q. How expensive is care at WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER compared to the national average?
Medicare spending and billing cost data is not available for WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER in the current CMS release.
Q. What do patient surveys say about outpatient surgery at WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER?
Patient experience survey ratings for outpatient surgery are not available for WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER in the current reporting period.
Q. Does WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER offer emergency services?
Yes, WICHITA VA MEDICAL CENTER provides emergency services. They are equipped to handle 24/7 urgent and emergency medical needs.

About Our Scoring Methodology

Our SafeHospitals USA Safety Score is calculated from the official CMS Hospital Compare dataset using a weighted composite of: hospital-acquired infection rates (HAI, 30% weight), patient safety indicator measures (25%), mortality measure outcomes (20%), 30-day readmission rates (15%), and patient experience survey scores (10%). Scores range from 0–10 and are normalized against the national distribution of all Medicare-certified facilities.

Scores are recalculated annually when CMS releases updated Hospital Compare data. The current scores reflect the 2024 CMS data release, last verified by our data team on March 15, 2026.