Palomar Medical Center Poway

Hospital in Poway, CA, Medicare certification number 050636. CMS publishes 56 quality measures for it.

Medicare certification

Provider of Services

CCN: 050636The number CMS certifies the facility under, not a provider identifier
Status: Active
Provider type: Hospital – Short-term
Listed by Care Compare as: Acute Care Hospitals
Ownership: Government - Hospital District or Authority
Control type: Hospital district or authority
Participating since: Jun 22, 1977
Last certification: Nov 14, 2019
Beds: 236
Overall star rating: 4 of 5Care Compare
Address: 15615 Pomerado Road
Poway, CA 92064
(858) 613-4000

NPI records for this facility 1

Palomar Health
- General Acute Care Hospital
- Poway, CA
- NPI 1376513754
Medicare enrollment

Patient survey (HCAHPS) 9

Medicare Care Compare

Cleanliness - star rating Worse2 of 5
- State average 3.51 (computed here)
- National average 3.44 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Communication about medicines - star rating Worse2 of 5
- State average 2.45 (computed here)
- National average 2.71 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Discharge information - star rating Worse3 of 5
- State average 3.08 (computed here)
- National average 3.31 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Doctor communication - star rating Worse2 of 5
- State average 2.69 (computed here)
- National average 3.12 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Nurse communication - star rating Worse3 of 5
- State average 2.86 (computed here)
- National average 3.43 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Overall hospital rating - star rating Worse2 of 5
- State average 3.05 (computed here)
- National average 3.29 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Quietness - star rating Worse1 of 5
- State average 2.2 (computed here)
- National average 3.27 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Recommend hospital - star rating Worse3 of 5
- State average 3.43 (computed here)
- National average 3.64 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024
Summary star rating Worse2 of 5
- State average 2.86 (computed here)
- National average 3.27 (computed here)
- Period from 10/01/2024

Complications and deaths 17

Medicare Care Compare

Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate As expected0.94
- State average 1.06 (computed here)
- National average 1.06
- No different than the national rate
- 412 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite As expected0.94
- State average 0.96 (computed here)
- National average 1
- No different than the national value
- Period from 07/01/2022
Death rate for COPD patients As expected9.5
- State average 8.24 (computed here)
- National average 8.6
- No different than the national rate
- 63 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Death rate for heart failure patients As expected9.6
- State average 10.29 (computed here)
- National average 11.1
- No different than the national rate
- 145 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Death rate for pneumonia patients Better10.9
- State average 14.49 (computed here)
- National average 15.2
- Better than the national rate
- 368 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Death rate for stroke patients As expected11.3
- State average 11.57 (computed here)
- National average 11.9
- No different than the national rate
- 94 patients
- Period from 07/01/2023
Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality Rate As expected3.7
- State average 3.81 (computed here)
- National average 3.9
- No different than the national rate
- 1,392 patients
- Period from 07/01/2024
Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate As expected0.25
- State average 0.21 (computed here)
- National average 0.21
- No different than the national rate
- 2,455 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate As expected0.25
- State average 0.26 (computed here)
- National average 0.27
- No different than the national rate
- 2,500 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate As expected3.41
- State average 3.52 (computed here)
- National average 3.52
- No different than the national rate
- 346 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate As expected1.64
- State average 1.67 (computed here)
- National average 1.67
- No different than the national rate
- 98 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate As expected2.18
- State average 2.31 (computed here)
- National average 2.34
- No different than the national rate
- 339 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Postoperative respiratory failure rate As expected7.89
- State average 9.56 (computed here)
- National average 9.42
- No different than the national rate
- 99 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Postoperative sepsis rate As expected4.9
- State average 5.5 (computed here)
- National average 5.27
- No different than the national rate
- 76 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Postoperative wound dehiscence rate As expected1.72
- State average 1.8 (computed here)
- National average 1.77
- No different than the national rate
- 113 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Pressure ulcer rate As expected0.65
- State average 0.48 (computed here)
- National average 0.63
- No different than the national rate
- 2,056 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Rate of complications for hip/knee replacement patients As expected4
- State average 4.07 (computed here)
- National average 4.1
- No different than the national rate
- 34 patients
- Period from 04/01/2023

Measures CMS does not publish for this facility (3)

Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications — 1
Death rate for CABG surgery patients — 5
Death rate for heart attack patients — 1

Infections 3

Medicare Care Compare

Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) As expected0
- State average 0.54
- National average 1
- No different than national benchmark
- Period from 10/01/2024
Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) As expected0.51
- State average 0.37
- National average 1
- No different than national benchmark
- Period from 10/01/2024
SSI - Colon Surgery As expected0
- State average 0.79
- National average 1
- No different than national benchmark
- Period from 10/01/2024

Measures CMS does not publish for this facility (3)

Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) — 13
MRSA Bacteremia — 13
SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy — 13

Outpatient imaging 2

Medicare Care Compare

Abdomen CT Use of Contrast Material 0.5
- State average 4.96 (computed here)
- National average 5.83 (computed here)
- Period from 07/01/2024
Breast Cancer Screening Recall Rates 5.4
- State average 8.42 (computed here)
- National average 8.08 (computed here)
- Period from 07/01/2024

Spending per patient 1

Medicare Care Compare

Medicare hospital spending per patient (Medicare Spending per Beneficiary) 1.06
- State average 1.02
- National average 0.99 (computed here)
- Period from 01/01/2024

Timely and effective care 16

Medicare Care Compare

Antithrombotic Therapy by End of Hospital Day 2 93
- State average 89.93 (computed here)
- National average 92.79 (computed here)
- 75 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024
Appropriate care for severe sepsis and septic shock 71
- State average 70
- National average 65
- 105 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Average (median) time all patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, including psychiatric/mental health patients and patients who were transferred to another facility. A lower number of minutes is better 206
- State average 180
- National average 168
- 377 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency department before being transferred to another facility. A lower number of minutes is better 318
- State average 398
- National average 287
- 16 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, excluding patients transferred to another facility or psychiatric care/mental health patients. A lower number of minutes is better 200
- State average 174
- National average 162
- 351 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Endoscopy/polyp surveillance: appropriate follow-up interval for normal colonoscopy in average risk patients 100
- State average 93
- National average 93
- 12 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024
Head CT results 83
- State average 74
- National average 69
- 18 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Healthcare workers given influenza vaccination 68
- State average 72
- National average 78
- 2,299 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Intensive Care Unit Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis 97
- State average 94.78 (computed here)
- National average 93.49 (computed here)
- 647 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024
Left before being seen 2
- State average 2
- National average 2
- 33,595 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024
Safe Use of Opioids - Concurrent Prescribing 15
- State average 13
- National average 15
- 1,088 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024
Septic Shock 3-Hour Bundle 94
- State average 77
- National average 73
- 36 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Septic Shock 6-Hour Bundle 88
- State average 88
- National average 87
- 24 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Severe Sepsis 3-Hour Bundle 81
- State average 84
- National average 81
- 105 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Severe Sepsis 6-Hour Bundle 97
- State average 95
- National average 93
- 67 patients
- Period from 10/01/2024
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis 86
- State average 86.9 (computed here)
- National average 82.23 (computed here)
- 2,517 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024

Measures CMS does not publish for this facility (14)

Anticoagulation Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter — 5
Average (median) time psychiatric/mental health patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit. A lower number of minutes is better — 1
Discharged on Antithrombotic Therapy — 5
Emergency department volume — medium
Global Malnutrition Composite Score — 5
Global Malnutrition Composite Score: Malnutrition Diagnosis Documented — 5
Global Malnutrition Composite Score: Malnutrition Risk Screening — 5
Global Malnutrition Composite Score: Nutrition Assessment — 5
Global Malnutrition Composite Score: Nutritional Care Plan — 5
Hospital Harm - Opioid Related Adverse Events — 5
Hospital Harm - Severe Hyperglycemia — 5
Hospital Harm - Severe Hypoglycemia — 5
Improvement in Patient's Visual Function within 90 Days Following Cataract Surgery — 5
ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) — 1

Unplanned visits 8

Medicare Care Compare

Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate As expected20.6
- State average 21.41 (computed here)
- National average 21.3
- No different than the national rate
- 232 patients
- Period from 07/01/2023
Hospital return days for heart failure patients -55.5
- State average 7.9 (computed here)
- National average 4.02 (computed here)
- Fewer days than average per 100 discharges
- 168 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Hospital return days for pneumonia patients -19.7
- State average 16.67 (computed here)
- National average 5.65 (computed here)
- Average days per 100 discharges
- 405 patients
- Period from 07/01/2022
Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate As expected17
- State average 17.7 (computed here)
- National average 17.3
- No different than the national rate
- 438 patients
- Period from 07/01/2023
Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement As expected5.9
- State average 5.61 (computed here)
- National average 5.8
- No different than the national rate
- 43 patients
- Period from 07/01/2023
Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients As expected18.8
- State average 19.94 (computed here)
- National average 20
- No different than the national rate
- 86 patients
- Period from 07/01/2023
Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) As expected13.2
- State average 12.91 (computed here)
- National average 13
- No different than the national rate
- 206 patients
- Period from 01/01/2022
Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery As expected1
- State average 1 (computed here)
- National average 1.01 (computed here)
- No different than expected
- 235 patients
- Period from 01/01/2024

Measures CMS does not publish for this facility (6)

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate — 1
Hospital return days for heart attack patients — 1
Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) — 4
Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy — 1
Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy — 1
Rate of readmission for CABG — 5

Sources for this page

Provider of Services: the certification, provider type, beds and status.
Medicare Care Compare: the star rating and every measure on this page, with the state and national rates CMS publishes beside them.
NPPES NPI Registry: the NPI records connected to this certification.

Better and worse are CMS's own comparison with the national rate, not ours: for most measures a low score is the good one (deaths, infections) and for others a high one is, so measures where CMS states no comparison are left uncoloured. The exception is star ratings, which are read against the national average here. Quality measures are published by CMS and are not adjusted or re-scored here. Averages marked “computed here” are the mean of every facility reporting that measure, worked out by NPIMap because CMS publishes no comparison for it. Confirm anything you rely on at Medicare Care Compare.