Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Identifiers

Hospital Name	Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Facility ID	11030F

Location

Address	1 FREEDOM WAY
City/Town	Augusta
State	GA
ZIP Code	30904
County/Parish	RICHMOND

Health System

Health System	Department of Veterans Affairs
Health System Website Domain	VA.gov
Recently Joined Health System (Past 4 Years)	No

Health System Size & Scope

Health System Total Hospitals	128
Health System Total Beds	73968
Health System Hospital Locations	Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, NA, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, NA, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming

Ownership & Characteristics

Hospital Type	Acute Care - Veterans Administration
Hospital Ownership	Veterans Health Administration
Ownership Details	Department of Veterans Affairs
Emergency Services	Yes

Oscar Rodriguez M.S.

Acting Executive Director/CEO

Mr. Rodriguez was appointed as the Acting Executive Director/CEO of VA Augusta Health Care System in March 2025. Prior to this announcement, he served as the Acting Executive Director/CEO for William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to these formal details, Mr. Rodriguez's appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) was confirmed by the Under Secretary for Health on February 26, 2023, as he was sworn in as the Deputy Executive Director for Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Mr. Rodriguez has served in the Veterans Health Administration since January 2013. During his professional tenure, he has served in a multitude of details as part of the executive leadership team. His professional experience includes serving as Acting Executive Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, and Chief Financial Officer. He led multiagency teams to address complex challenges to further the VA mission. A retired Commissioned Officer, Mr. Rodriguez served twenty years in the United States Army where he served seven years as an enlisted soldier before receiving his commission as a Finance Officer in 2000. Mr. Rodriguez has served in a variety of positions to include Executive Officer in 2003 with the Third Infantry Division in Baghdad, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Deputy Director of Resource Management in 2005 with Area Support Group in Kuwait, Financial Management Commander in 2007 with the Third Infantry Division in Baghdad, Iraq, and Director of Finance Operations, and the Installation's Director of Resource Management (J8) for Joint Task Force, Bravo in Honduras. Mr. Rodriguez was born and raised in Puerto Rico, graduated from Inter-American University, and earned a Master of Science in Finance from Webster University.

Lovetta Ford LCSW

Acting Executive Deputy Director

Brenda Byrd-Pelaez J.D.

Acting Associate Director

Herimone Chappell M.D.

Chief of Staff

Michael Weld DNP MN RN-BC

Acting Associate Director for Patient Care Services (Nurse Executive)

Lennox A. Wildman Sr. BS, MAEd.

Assistant Medical Center Director

Residency Programs

Allopathic Residency Program	No
Dental Residency Program	No
Osteopathic Residency Program	No
Other Residency Programs	No
Pediatric Residency Program	No

Capacity & Services

Licensed Beds	1644

Staffing & Personnel

FTE Employees on Payroll	NA
FTE Interns & Residents	NA

Inpatient Utilization

Inpatient Days (Title V)	NA
Inpatient Days (Title XVIII)	NA
Inpatient Days (Title XIX)	NA
Total Inpatient Days	NA
Bed Count	NA
Available Bed Days	NA
Discharges (Title V)	NA
Discharges (Title XVIII)	NA
Discharges (Title XIX)	NA
Total Discharges	NA

Adult & Pediatric Subtotal

Inpatient Days (Title V; Adults & Peds)	NA
Inpatient Days (Title XVIII; Adults & Peds)	NA
Inpatient Days (Title XIX; Adults & Peds)	NA
Total Inpatient Days (Adults & Peds)	NA
Bed Count (Adults & Peds)	NA
Available Bed Days (Adults & Peds)	NA
Discharges (Title V; Adults & Peds)	NA
Discharges (Title XVIII; Adults & Peds)	NA
Discharges (Title XIX; Adults & Peds)	NA
Total Discharges (Adults & Peds)	NA

Quality Summary

Care Quality Stengths	Average overall patient satisfaction.
Care Quality Concerns	Hospital does not do a good job of treating conditions like heart attacks so that patients don't have to come back to the hospital.

Hospital Overall Rating

Patient Experience Star Ratings

Nurse Communication – Star Rating
Doctor Communication – Star Rating
Staff Responsiveness – Star Rating
Communication About Medicines – Star Rating
Discharge Information – Star Rating
Care Transition – Star Rating
Cleanliness – Star Rating
Quietness – Star Rating
Overall Hospital Rating – Star Rating
Recommend Hospital – Star Rating

Recommendation Percentage

Percent of Patients Who Definitely Recommend the Hospital	66%

Mortality Group Indicators

Mortality Group – Rate of Complications for Hip/Knee Replacement Patients	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate for Heart Attack Patients	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate for CABG Surgery Patients
Mortality Group – Death Rate for COPD Patients	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate for Heart Failure Patients	Better Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate for Pneumonia Patients	Better Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate for Stroke Patients
Mortality Group – Pressure Ulcer Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Death Rate Among Surgical Inpatients With Serious Treatable Complications	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Iatrogenic Pneumothorax Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – In-Hospital Fall with Hip Fracture Rate
Mortality Group – Postoperative Hemorrhage or Hematoma Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Dialysis Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Postoperative Respiratory Failure Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis Rate	Worse Than National Average
Mortality Group – Postoperative Sepsis Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Postoperative Wound Dehiscence Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – Abdominopelvic Accidental Puncture or Laceration Rate	No Different Than National Average
Mortality Group – CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient Safety and Adverse Events Composite	No Different Than National Average

Timely & Effective Care

Timely and Effective Care: Average (Median) Time in the Emergency Department Before Leaving (Lower Is Better)	NA

Readmission Scores & Groups

Readmission Score Hospital Return Days for Heart Attack Patients	33.1
Readmission Score Hospital Return Days for Heart Failure Patients	-13
Readmission Score Hospital Return Days for Pneumonia Patients	-17.2
Readmission Score Rate of Unplanned Hospital Visits After Colonoscopy (per 1,000 Colonoscopies)	Not Available
Readmission Score Rate of Inpatient Admissions for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy	Not Available
Readmission Score Rate of Emergency Department (ED) Visits for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy	Not Available
Readmission Score Ratio of Unplanned Hospital Visits After Hospital Outpatient Surgery	Not Available
Readmission Score Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate	13.6
Readmission Score Rate of Readmission for CABG	Not Available
Readmission Score Rate of Readmission for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients	19.8
Readmission Score Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate	20.1
Readmission Score Rate of Readmission After Hip/Knee Replacement	5.8
Readmission Score Rate of Readmission After Discharge From Hospital (Hospital-Wide)	14.5
Readmission Score Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate	15.6
Readmission Group Hospital Return Days for Heart Attack Patients	More Days Than Average per 100 Discharges
Readmission Group Hospital Return Days for Heart Failure Patients	Average Days per 100 Discharges
Readmission Group Hospital Return Days for Pneumonia Patients	Average Days per 100 Discharges
Readmission Group Rate of Unplanned Hospital Visits After Colonoscopy (per 1,000 Colonoscopies)	Not Available
Readmission Group Rate of Inpatient Admissions for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy	Not Available
Readmission Group Rate of Emergency Department (ED) Visits for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy	Not Available
Readmission Group Ratio of Unplanned Hospital Visits After Hospital Outpatient Surgery	Not Available
Readmission Group Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate	No Different Than the National Rate
Readmission Group Rate of Readmission for CABG	Not Available
Readmission Group Rate of Readmission for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients	No Different Than the National Rate
Readmission Group Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate	No Different Than the National Rate
Readmission Group Rate of Readmission After Hip/Knee Replacement	No Different Than the National Rate
Readmission Group Rate of Readmission After Discharge From Hospital (Hospital-Wide)	No Different Than the National Rate
Readmission Group Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate	No Different Than the National Rate

Infection SIRs

CLABSI SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio)	NA
CAUTI SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio)	NA
SSI SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio)	NA
CDI SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio)	NA
MRSA SIR (Standardized Infection Ratio)	NA

Fiscal Period

Fiscal Year Begin	NA
Fiscal Year End	NA

Charity & Uncompensated Care ($ thousands)

Charity Care Cost
Bad Debt Expense
Uncompensated Care Cost
Total Uncompensated Care

Operating Expenses ($ thousands)

Total Salaries
Overhead Expenses (Non-Salary)
Depreciation Expense
Total Operating Costs

Charges ($ thousands)

Inpatient Charges
Outpatient Charges
Total Patient Charges

Wage-Related Details ($ thousands)

Core Wage Costs
Wage Costs (RHC/FQHC)
Adjusted Salaries
Contract Labor (Patient Care)
Wage Costs (Part A Teaching)
Wage Costs (Interns & Residents)

Balance Sheet – Current Assets ($ thousands)

Cash & Bank Balances
Short-Term Investments
Notes Receivable
Accounts Receivable
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Inventory
Prepaid Expenses
Other Current Assets
Total Current Assets

Balance Sheet – Fixed Assets ($ thousands)

Land Value
Land Improvements Value
Building Value
Leasehold Improvements
Fixed Equipment Value
Major Movable Equipment
Minor Depreciable Equipment
Health IT Assets
Total Fixed Assets

Balance Sheet – Other Assets ($ thousands)

Long-Term Investments
Other Assets
Total Other Assets
Total Assets

Balance Sheet – Current Liabilities ($ thousands)

Accounts Payable
Salaries & Wages Payable
Payroll Taxes Payable
Short-Term Debt
Deferred Revenue
Other Current Liabilities
Total Current Liabilities

Balance Sheet – Long-Term Liabilities ($ thousands)

Mortgage Debt
Long-Term Notes Payable
Unsecured Loans
Other Long-Term Liabilities
Total Long-Term Liabilities
Total Liabilities

Balance Sheet – Equity ($ thousands)

General Fund Balance
Total Fund Balances
Total Liabilities & Equity

DRG & Program Payments ($ thousands)

DRG (Non-Outlier)
DRG (Pre-Oct 1)
DRG (Post-Oct 1)
Outlier Payments
DSH Adjustment
Eligible DSH %
Simulated MC Payments
Total IME Payments

Revenue & Income Statement ($ thousands)

Inpatient Revenue
Outpatient Revenue
Total Patient Revenue
Contractual Allowances & Discounts
Net Patient Revenue
Total Operating Expenses
Net Service Income
Other Income
Total Income
Other Expenses
Net Income

Ratios & Program Revenues ($ thousands)

Cost-to-Charge Ratio
Net Medicaid Revenue
Medicaid Charges
Net CHIP Revenue
CHIP Charges

EHR Information

EHR	VistA/CPRS
EHR Version	VistA/CPRS
EHR is Changing	Yes--In Process of Replacing

ERP Information

ERP	Unknown
ERP Version	NA
EHR is Changing	No