Bay Pines VA Receives Top Scores in Latest CMS Hospital Ratings

CMS’s hospital ratings are based on five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care. A higher star rating, out of 5, indicates better performance on these quality measures. 

Within the last year, Bay Pines VA has instituted a number of improvements to better serve Veterans. These include fostering a culture of safety by emphasizing an adherence to best practices, and continuous monitoring of patient safety indicators and quality measures. Additionally, systematic reviews of all patient safety events, readmissions, and quality metrics were conducted to identify causes and areas for improvement.

“This accomplishment is a clear indication of the dedication and skillset our health care professionals bring to our mission,” said Bay Pines VA Interim Director Dr. Derek Szafranski. “Our ongoing commitment to serving Veterans well is evidenced by the fact that Bay Pines VA is tied for the highest rated hospital in overall quality and we’ve earned the highest patient satisfaction score within Pinellas County.”

Szafranski continued, “We look forward to making additional improvements as we work toward earning five stars.”

As part of CMS’s 2025 ratings, 77% of VA hospitals that received an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating received 4 or 5 stars, and no VA hospitals received a one-star rating. More than 90% of VA hospitals with ratings maintained or improved their 2024-star rating.

View the star ratings and methodology for the ratings.

Overall VA improvements during the second Trump Administration

• The backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits is down more than 37% since Jan. 20, 2025.
• VA has opened 16 new health care clinics, expanding access for Veterans around the country.
• VA is spending an additional $800 million on infrastructure improvements to ensure department facilities provide safe and effective patient care.
• Since Jan. 20, VA has offered nearly 1 million health care appointments outside of normal operating hours. These early-morning, evening, and weekend appointments are giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
• VA is processing record numbers of disability claims, reaching an all-time fiscal-year high of 2.52 million ratings claims for FY25 as of Aug. 8.
• VA has made it easier and faster for VA-enrolled Veterans to access care from non-VA providers at the department’s expense.
• VA has implemented major reforms to make it easier for survivors to get benefits.
• VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system.
• VA partnered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify and recover $106 million in duplicate billing.
• VA has brought tens of thousands of VA employees back to the office, where we can work better as a team to serve Veterans.
• In fiscal year 2025 through June, VA has housed 37,534 homeless Veterans. 

For additional information on this event or future coverage opportunities: Contact Bay Pines VA Healthcare System’s Public Affairs Officer Medina Ayala-Lo at Medina.AyalaLo@va.gov or . See the latest news, stories, and Veteran health care information available on our official website at www.baypines.va.gov and on our official social media accounts at Facebook and Twitter.

Medina Ayala-Lo, Public Affairs Officer