NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER Review

Get Information, Ratings, Surveys, and Compare NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER to other hospitals

Overall Hospital Rating: ; HCAPS approval: 53%

Database data as of January 31, 2024

A Review of the Data

Prepared by Richard Saunders as of January 31, 2024.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") distributes more than 80 tables of data on hospitals on a quarterly basis. That is a lot of information to pour through to try and build a comprehensive review of NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER. Luckily, we are here to help! I’ve put together this page to help you to get a better idea of what the hospital does, who is affiliated with it, share any patient survey data and much more. (If you want to jump to a specific section of the review, here are the section headers: General Hospital Data, Ratings, Cost Analysis, Infections, Comparison, Nearby Skilled Nursing Facilities, Doctors Associated with NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER, Survey Analysis.)

In the briefest summary, NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER is one of the types of hospitals called Acute Care Hospitals. It is in TUCSON, AZ. Its five star rating is 1 . Its type of ownership is Proprietary. The facility's Medicare ID is 30085. It does provide emergency services. There are 510 medical professionals and 181 doctor groups affiliated with the hospital. On average at NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER, emergency patients were charged $23,824. This is lower than the state average of $25,814. It is also lower than the national average of $25,828.

According to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems ("HCAHPS") that ended in September 30, 2021, 53% of the patients surveyed definitely recommended NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER, while only 12% did not recommend going to NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER.

The information presented below is based on data provided by U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It is updated as new data is made available.

General Information for NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

Address:

6200 NORTH LA CHOLLA BOULEVARD
TUCSON, AZ 85741
(520) 469-8100
Click for Map

Medicare Provider Number:

30085

Type:

Acute Care Hospitals

Ownership:

Proprietary

Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating for NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

Overall Rating:



The Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating for NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER summarizes a variety of measures across 5 areas of quality into a single star rating for each hospital. Once reporting thresholds are met, a hospital’s Overall Star Rating is calculated using only those measures for which data are available. Hospitals report data to The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") through the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program, Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. Overall Star Ratings aren’t calculated for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or Department of Defense (DoD) hospitals.

Most hospitals will have an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating of 3.

National distribution of the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating The following table shows the national distribution of the Overall Star Rating based on July 2022 results.

Overall rating Number of hospitals / Percentage
1 star 198 (6.34%)
2 stars 702 (22.49%)
3 stars 895 (28.68%)
4 stars 895 (28.68%)
5 stars 431 (13.81%)
N/A 1,368 (30.47%)

Additional detailed on the method for calculating the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating from this document.

Patient Survey Results

Below is information compiled by CMS on the percentage of patients who respond to specific treatments and a comparison of the results for NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER to the national results for similar facilities.

Survey Question Response
Patients who reported that their nurses "Always" communicated well 71 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Sometimes" or "Never" communicated well 7 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Usually" communicated well 22 %
Nurse communication - linear mean score Not Applicable
Nurse communication - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that their nurses "Always" treated them with courtesy and respect 79 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Sometimes" or "Never" treated them with courtesy and respect 5 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Usually" treated them with courtesy and respect 16 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Always" listened carefully to them 66 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Sometimes" or "Never" listened carefully to them 8 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Usually" listened carefully to them 26 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Always" explained things in a way they could understand 68 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Sometimes" or "Never" explained things in a way they could understand 8 %
Patients who reported that their nurses "Usually" explained things in a way they could understand 24 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Always" communicated well 70 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Sometimes" or "Never" communicated well 10 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Usually" communicated well 20 %
Doctor communication - linear mean score Not Applicable
Doctor communication - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that their doctors "Always" treated them with courtesy and respect 77 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Sometimes" or "Never" treated them with courtesy and respect 7 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Usually" treated them with courtesy and respect 16 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Always" listened carefully to them 69 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Sometimes" or "Never" listened carefully to them 11 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Usually" listened carefully to them 20 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Always" explained things in a way they could understand 63 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Sometimes" or "Never" explained things in a way they could understand 12 %
Patients who reported that their doctors "Usually" explained things in a way they could understand 25 %
Patients who reported that they "Always" received help as soon as they wanted 52 %
Patients who reported that they "Sometimes" or "Never" received help as soon as they wanted 17 %
Patients who reported that they "Usually" received help as soon as they wanted 31 %
Staff responsiveness - linear mean score Not Applicable
Staff responsiveness - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that they "Always" received help after using the call button as soon as they wanted 50 %
Patients who reported that they "Sometimes" or "Never" received help after using the call button as soon as they wanted 17 %
Patients who reported that they "Usually" received help after using the call button as soon as they wanted 33 %
Patients who reported that they "Always" received bathroom help as soon as they wanted 54 %
Patients who reported that they "Sometimes" or "Never" received bathroom help as soon as they wanted 16 %
Patients who reported that they "Usually" received bathroom help as soon as they wanted 30 %
Patients who reported that staff "Always" explained about medicines before giving it to them 53 %
Patients who reported that staff "Sometimes" or "Never" explained about medicines before giving it to them 28 %
Patients who reported that staff "Usually" explained about medicines before giving it to them 19 %
Communication about medicines - linear mean score Not Applicable
Communication about medicines - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Always" communicated what the medication was for 67 %
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Sometimes" or "Never" communicated what the medication was for 14 %
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Usually" communicated what the medication was for. 19 %
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Always" discussed possible side effects 40 %
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Sometimes" or "Never" discussed possible side effects 42 %
Patients who reported that when receiving new medication the staff "Usually" discussed possible side effects 18 %
Patients who reported that NO, they were not given information about what to do during their recovery at home 20 %
Patients who reported that YES, they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home 80 %
Discharge information - linear mean score Not Applicable
Discharge information - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that NO, they did not discuss whether they would need help after discharge 24 %
Patients who reported that YES, they did discuss whether they would need help after discharge 76 %
Patients who reported that NO, they did not receive written information about possible symptoms to look out for after discharge 15 %
Patients who reported that YES, they did receive written information about possible symptoms to look out for after discharge 85 %
Patients who "Agree" they understood their care when they left the hospital 48 %
Patients who "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree" they understood their care when they left the hospital 12 %
Patients who "Strongly Agree" they understood their care when they left the hospital 40 %
Care transition - linear mean score Not Applicable
Care transition - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who "Agree" that the staff took my preferences into account when determining my health care needs 52 %
Patients who "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree" that the staff took my preferences into account when determining my health care needs 15 %
Patients who "Strongly Agree" that the staff took my preferences into account when determining my health care needs 33 %
Patients who "Agree" that they understood their responsiblities in managing their health 50 %
Patients who "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree" that they understood their responsiblities in managing their health 11 %
Patients who "Strongly Agree" that they understood their responsiblities in managing their health 39 %
Patients who "Agree" that they understood the purposes of their medications when leaving the hospital 44 %
Patients who "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree" that they understood the purposes of their medications when leaving the hospital 10 %
Patients who "Strongly Agree" that they understood the purposes of their medications when leaving the hospital 46 %
Patients who reported that their room and bathroom were "Always" clean 59 %
Patients who reported that their room and bathroom were "Sometimes" or "Never" clean 17 %
Patients who reported that their room and bathroom were "Usually" clean 24 %
Cleanliness - linear mean score Not Applicable
Cleanliness - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported that the area around their room was "Always" quiet at night 41 %
Patients who reported that the area around their room was "Sometimes" or "Never" quiet at night 21 %
Patients who reported that the area around their room was "Usually" quiet at night 38 %
Quietness - linear mean score Not Applicable
Quietness - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 6 or lower on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) 16 %
Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 7 or 8 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) 31 %
Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) 53 %
Overall hospital rating - linear mean score Not Applicable
Overall hospital rating - star rating Not Applicable
Patients who reported NO, they would probably not or definitely not recommend the hospital 12 %
Patients who reported YES, they would definitely recommend the hospital 53 %
Patients who reported YES, they would probably recommend the hospital 35 %
Recommend hospital - linear mean score Not Applicable
Recommend hospital - star rating Not Applicable
Summary star rating Not Applicable

Cost of NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER, Compare to National and State Averages

Understanding how much a hospital is going to cost is extremely difficult. Hospitals themselves actively obscure what they charge and have negotiated different rates with different insurers. Then you have the problem of the wide variety of treatments which the NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER provides.

To provide some standard metric to compare hospital costs, CMS publishes the MSPB (or "Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary"). Even though you may not be on Medicare, this metric may still be useful. The MSPB is expressed as a percentage compared to the national average for costs that Medicare incurs. A percentage higher than 100% means the hospital charges more than the national average while a percentage less than 100% means the hospital charges less than the national average.

MSPB for NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER: Not Available

Detailed table for spending and period for patients at NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER:

Type Amount
Home Health Agency (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $11
Hospice (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $0
Inpatient (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $59
Outpatient (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $293
Skilled Nursing Facility (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $2
Durable Medical Equipment (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $6
Carrier (1 to 3 days Prior to Index Hospital Admission) $816
Home Health Agency (During Index Hospital Admission) $0
Hospice (During Index Hospital Admission) $0
Inpatient (During Index Hospital Admission) $11,510
Outpatient (During Index Hospital Admission) $0
Skilled Nursing Facility (During Index Hospital Admission) $0
Durable Medical Equipment (During Index Hospital Admission) $17
Carrier (During Index Hospital Admission) $1,372
Home Health Agency (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $762
Hospice (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $225
Inpatient (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $4,056
Outpatient (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $554
Skilled Nursing Facility (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $2,284
Durable Medical Equipment (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $77
Carrier (1 through 30 days After Discharge from Index Hospital Admission) $1,781
Total (Complete Episode) $23,824

Infection Rates at NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

These measures show how often patients at NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER contract certain infections during the course of their medical treatment, when compared to other hospitals nationally.

Infection Type Score / Compare to National Average
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards): Lower Confidence Limit 0.01 / Better
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards): Upper Confidence Limit 0.89 / Better
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection: Number of Device Days 6,724.00 / Better
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards): Predicted Cases 5.58 / Better
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards): Observed Cases 1.00 / Better
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) 0.18 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): Lower Confidence Limit 0.01 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): Upper Confidence Limit 0.81 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): Number of Urinary Catheter Days 7,049.00 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): Predicted Cases 6.11 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): Observed Cases 1.00 / Better
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) 0.16 / Better
SSI - Colon Surgery: Lower Confidence Limit 0.46 / Same
SSI - Colon Surgery: Upper Confidence Limit 2.36 / Same
SSI - Colon Surgery: Number of Procedures 210.00 / Same
SSI - Colon Surgery: Predicted Cases 5.29 / Same
SSI - Colon Surgery: Observed Cases 6.00 / Same
SSI - Colon Surgery 1.13 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy: Lower Confidence Limit 0.04 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy: Upper Confidence Limit 4.17 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy: Number of Procedures 140.00 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy: Predicted Cases 1.18 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy: Observed Cases 1.00 / Same
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy 0.85 / Same
MRSA Bacteremia: Lower Confidence Limit -- / Same
MRSA Bacteremia: Upper Confidence Limit 1.16 / Same
MRSA Bacteremia: Patient Days 57,968.00 / Same
MRSA Bacteremia: Predicted Cases 2.59 / Same
MRSA Bacteremia: Observed Cases 0.00 / Same
MRSA Bacteremia 0.00 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): Lower Confidence Limit 0.45 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): Upper Confidence Limit 1.04 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): Patient Days 53,764.00 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): Predicted Cases 31.62 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): Observed Cases 22.00 / Same
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) 0.70 / Same

How NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER Compares to Other Similar Facilities

This is how NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER compares to other similar hospitals nationally based on data provided to CMS.

Top Hospitals in TUCSON, AZ

Worst Hospitals in TUCSON, AZ

Percentages of Complications and Deaths at NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

Measure Score Compared to National Rates
Rate of complications for hip/knee replacement patients 3.1% SAME
Death rate for heart attack patients 13.7% SAME
Death rate for CABG surgery patients 2.4% SAME
Death rate for COPD patients 10.9% SAME
Death rate for heart failure patients 12.5% SAME
Death rate for pneumonia patients 24.5% Worse
Death rate for stroke patients 14.5% SAME
Pressure ulcer rate 2.19% Worse
Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications 162.79% SAME
Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate 0.19% SAME
In-hospital fall with hip fracture rate 0.08% SAME
Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate 1.84% SAME
Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate 1.65% SAME
Postoperative respiratory failure rate 8.41% SAME
Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate 3.9% SAME
Postoperative sepsis rate 4.7% SAME
Postoperative wound dehiscence rate 2.61% SAME
Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate 1.3% SAME
CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite 1.4% Worse

Skilled Nursing Facilities Near NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

Many hospital patients are not ready to return home after a hospital visit. If recovery is going to be protracted, doctors will often advise that the patients recuperate at a skilled nursing facility. Below is a list of the skilled nursing homes near NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER ranked by their CMS 5-Star Overall Rating.

Facility Name Overall Rating
Arizona State Veteran Home-Tucson 5:
Sabino Canyon Rehabilitation and Care Center 5:
Skilled Nursing Unit at Oro Valley Hospital 5:
Splendido at Rancho Vistoso 5:
The Center at Tucson 4:
Haven of Tucson 4:
Park Avenue Health and Rehabilitation Center 3:
Foothills Rehabilitation Center 3:
Villa Maria Post Acute and Rehabilitation 3:
Devon Gables Rehabilitation Center 3:
Catalina Post Acute and Rehabilitation 3:
La Canada Care Center 3:
Sandstone of Tucson Rehab Centre 2:
Haven of Saguaro Valley 2:
Pueblo Springs Rehabilitation Center 2:
Handmaker Home For The Aging 2:
Casas Adobes Post Acute Rehab Center 2:
Brookdale Santa Catalina 2:
Santa Rosa Care Center 1:
Sandstone Estates Rehab Centre 1:
Life Care Center of Tucson 1:
Mountain View Care Center 1:

Medical Groups Affiliated with NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER

There are 510 doctors and 181 medical groups that are affiliated with NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER.

Affiliated Doctor Groups


The list of medical professionals associated with NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER is very long, so we have added another pages. See a list of medical professionals associated with NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER.