Hearth Record

Vassar Brothers Medical Center

An acute care hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York 12601

45 Reade Place, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601. (845) 454-8500.

CMS’s own record, on Care Compare

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The short answer

Record last released by CMS on Oct 20, 2026.

The last 24 months 2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited May 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. Every month

Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.

What these words mean3
Star ratings
CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
Inspection (survey)
A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
Deficiency, citation, violation
What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.

What did inspectors find?

The last inspection on record was on Dec 19, 2024: a complaint inspection.

2 deficiencies cited in the last three years.

Source:

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

When those deficiencies happened

2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited May 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.

2 deficiencies by month over the last 3 years. Each cell is one month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2023 Dec
2024 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2026 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNov

Hover or focus a month to read it.

No visit on record Visited, nothing cited A stronger orange is more serious, on its source’s own levels, read onto four bands: from the least serious it publishes to the most
Source:

Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.

Each deficiency, as cited

Rule titles as CMS’s inspectors cite them, set in sentence case.

Source:

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

May 21, 2024: complaint inspection2 deficiencies

  • Rn Supervision Of Nursing Care

    The inspectors’ words, 630 words

    “RN SUPERVISION OF NURSING CARE CFR(s): 482.23(b)(3) A registered nurse must supervise and evaluate the nursing care for each patient. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 48001 . Based on medical record review, document review, and interview, in one (1) of seven (7) medical records reviewed, nursing staff failed to adequately monitor a patient with an abnormal level of oxygen saturation and confer with the physician regarding the patient’s care. Findings include: A review of the medical record for Patient #1 identified that the patient was evaluated in the Emergency Department (ED) on 3/13/2024 at 06:54 AM after an unwitnessed fall incident at the Assisted Living Facility. ED triage vital signs were Blood Pressure 114/54 (normal blood pressure 90/60 mm/Hg - 120/80 mm/Hg), Heart Rate 114 (normal heart rate 60- 100 beats per minute), Respiration Rate 20 (normal respiration rate 12-18 breaths per minute), Oxygen level/saturation [SPO2] 98 % (normal SpO2 95 -100%), and Temperature 97.6 degrees Fahrenheit (normal range 97.8 F - 99.1 F. ED physician noted the patient’s past medical history included advanced Alzheimer’s disease and a new onset difficulty swallowing. The patient was admitted to an inpatient unit with orders that included cardiac monitoring, NPO except for medications, code status: Do Not intubate (DNI), and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR). On 3/14/2024 at approximately 09:52 AM, the physician ordered a Pureed Diet (Dysphagia Puree Diet) and thin liquids based on the speech pathologist’s evaluation and recommendations. On 03/14/2024 at 1:39 PM, the nurse documented that the patient’s oxygen level dropped while eating, and the physician was notified. On 3/14/24 at 2:34 PM, the physician documented the following: the patient was suspected of having choked on liquids and apple sauce as her oxygen saturation level dropped to 85% on room air. The nurse suctioned the patient orally, and the patient was placed on supplemental oxygen. The physician ordered a chest x-ray, aspiration precautions, and nothing by mouth. A repeat chest x-ray at 5:07 PM revealed no acute findings. On 03/14/2024, the patient’s oxygen saturation levels were entered in the medical record as follows: 01:37 PM- SPO2 85 % on room air. 01:39 PM- SPO2 91 % nasal canula at 2 Liters per minute (LPM). 03:58 PM- SPO2 91 %. 07:45 PM- SPO2 91 %. 09:00 PM- SPO2 92 % on nasal canula at 3 LPM. 11:00 PM- SPO2 91% on nasal canula at 3 LPM. 11:32 PM- SPO2 91 %, Blood Pressure 153/71, Heart Rate 77. There was no documentation found that the patient’s persistent abnormal levels of oxygen were reported to the physician after the physician’s last documented assessment of the patient on 3/14/2024 at 2:34 PM. On 03/15/2024, at 01:30 AM, the patient’s nurse entered a note, “Received a call from Cardiac Monitoring Unit (CMU) regarding pt [Patient] telemetry having pauses greater than 20 seconds. Telemetry also showed a lead-off. Upon entering the room and replacing loose lead, the patient appeared to have extreme agonal breathing. RRT [Rapid Response Team] called at approximately 01:25 [AM] ...As staff began to arrive, pt [Patient] took a last breath, and RRT was canceled.” The patient was pronounced dead on 03/15/2024 at 01:27 AM. On 5/21/2024 at 01:29 PM, during an interview with Staff I (the patient’s nurse), she stated that she could not recall the patient. However, she stated that if a patient’s oxygen saturation is between 80-92 %, she would place the patient on low-flow oxygen via nasal cannula and then notify the doctor, and if the patient’s oxygen levels do not improve significantly, she will continue communicating with the physician. There was no documentation found of continued communication with the physician for approximately eleven hours from 2:34 PM on 3/14/2024 PM to 1:25 AM on 3/15/2024 when the nurse found the patient with agonal breathing. .”

    Rule A0395. Standard-level. From a complaint.

  • Content Of Record

    The inspectors’ words, 447 words

    “CONTENT OF RECORD CFR(s): 482.24(c) The medical record must contain information to justify admission and continued hospitalization, support the diagnosis, and describe the patient’s progress and response to medications and services. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 35161 . Based on medical record review, document review, and interview, in one (1) of seven (7) medical records reviewed, the facility failed to document information that supports the patient’s diagnosis. Specifically, nursing staff did not document cardiac strips in accordance with the facility’s policy for ‘Cardiac Monitoring.’ Findings include: The facility’s policy for ‘Cardiac Monitoring,’ dated 9/20/2023, states, “Tele Tech will obtain a 6-second (minimum) cardiac strip to check the clarity of the strip, confirm accurate placement of leads, and obtain a baseline. A six-second (minimum) cardiac strip should be placed in the patient’s chart at the following times by the TeleTech and confirmed by the RN [Registered Nurse] (RN will acknowledge by documenting Last Name and First Initial) in the comments section prior to electronically saving the strip to EMR [Electronic Medical Record]). - On initiation of telemetry monitoring for baseline. - Prior to the beginning of each shift. - Whenever there is a transfer to a different level of care. - When there is an alteration in the patient’s cardiac rhythm or pattern.” A review of the medical record for Patient #1 identified an 81-year-old female patient who was admitted to the facility on 03/14/2024 for an evaluation and observation post-fall at an Assisted Living facility. On 03/15/2024, at 1:30 AM, the patient’s nurse entered a note: “Received call from Cardiac Monitoring Unit (CMU) regarding Pt [Patient] telemetry having pauses greater than 20 seconds. Telemetry also showed a lead was off. Upon entering the room and replacing the loose lead, the patient appeared to be having extreme agonal breathing. RRT [Rapid Response Team] called at approximately 01:25 AM.” On 03/15/2024, at 1:27 AM, the patient was pronounced dead. There was no documentation found in the patient’s medical record and the CMU EKG log of the patient’s abnormal cardiac rhythm or pattern before the patient’s cardiac arrest and death. On 05/21/2024 at 1:29 PM, during an interview with Staff Q (7 South Nurse Manager), she stated that patients’ EKG strips can be entered into the medical record by either a unit nurse or an EKG Monitoring Technician at a remote location. On 05/21/2024 at 2:30 PM, during an interview with Staff J (EKG Monitoring Technician), he stated, “Any abnormalities on EKG should be recorded, and if the patient expires, the last strip is documented.” Staff J reported that he did not document the patient’s EKG strip when there was an alteration in the patient’s cardiac rhythm.”

    Rule A0449. Standard-level. From a complaint.

All 2 inspections in the last three years
Inspections on record
DateVisitWhat the record says
Dec 19, 2024Complaint inspectionNo deficiencies cited
May 21, 2024Complaint inspection2 deficiencies cited

How do patients fare?

  • CMS’s overall for it is 3 of 5.
  • Of the measures behind its , CMS counts against the national value: mortality, 4 better and 0 worse of 8; safety of care, 4 better and 0 worse of 7; readmission, 0 better and 2 worse of 10.
  • Patients rate it 3 of 5 in CMS’s patient survey (2,026 surveys completed, Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): 68% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 72% would definitely recommend it.
  • Infections, compared by CMS with the national benchmark (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI), no different than national benchmark; catheter urinary tract infections (CAUTI), better than the national benchmark; surgical site infections after colon surgery, better than the national benchmark; surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy, no different than national benchmark; MRSA bloodstream infections, no different than national benchmark; C. diff infections, better than the national benchmark.
  • CMS’s patient safety composite for serious complications, PSI 90, Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2024: no different than the national value.
  • Deaths within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025): heart attack 10.2%, heart failure 8.8%, pneumonia 13.1%, COPD 7.9%, stroke 10.2%, heart bypass surgery 1.7%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
  • Readmissions within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2023 to Jun 30, 2025): heart attack 15%, heart failure 20.9%, pneumonia 18.2%, COPD 19.2%, heart bypass surgery 11.7%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
  • After outpatient care, compared by CMS: unplanned hospital visits after a colonoscopy, no different than the national rate; hospital admissions after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; emergency visits after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; unplanned hospital visits after outpatient surgery, no different than expected.
  • Emergency department patients spent a median of 295 minutes there before leaving (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025), and 2% left before being seen.
  • 42% of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock got the care CMS measures, SEP-1 (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025).
  • Medicare’s spending per patient here is 0.96 times the national median (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024).
Source:

CMS, Hospital General Information, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital, Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital, Timely and Effective Care - Hospital and Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, Complications and Deaths - Hospital and Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital. Released Sep 30, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Ratings and measures, as published
MeasureRating
Overall ratingCMS’s overall hospital quality star rating, 1 to 53 of 5
Patient survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of the hospital’s patients (HCAHPS), 1 to 53 of 5

Is it certified, and in good standing?

  • Medicare-certified acute care hospital since Jul 1, 1966.
  • Ownership: voluntary non-profit - private.
  • It is accredited by The Joint Commission, whose surveys stand in for the state’s routine inspections.
  • No deficiency on record in the last three years.
  • Voluntary non-profit - Private.
Source:

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

Has it been penalized?

  • CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals.
  • Not among the hospitals whose Medicare payments CMS cut under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program for fiscal year 2026.
  • 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years came from inspections that included a complaint investigation.
Source:

CMS, Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated yearly.

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.

What do patients say about their care?

  • CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
  • In CMS’s patient survey, patients rate how well its nurses communicated 3 of 5.
  • 69% of its health care workers got a flu shot (Oct 1, 2024 to Mar 31, 2025).
Source:

CMS, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital and Timely and Effective Care - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Who owns it?

  • Health Quest Systems Inc. owns 100% directly since Sep 2, 1999.
  • Health Quest Systems Inc. runs it.
  • 34 owners or officers are people: Ramon Soto (corporate director, 0%); Margaret M Crotty (corporate director, 0%); Howard B Gold (corporate director, 0%); Timothy Dean (corporate director, 0%); Michael E Feldman (corporate director, 0%); Sal Calta (corporate director, 0%); Gregory W Rakow (corporate director, 0%); Robert R Dyson (corporate director, 0%); Mark J Solazzo (corporate director, 0%); Ervin Shames (corporate director, 0%); Kathleen Gallo (corporate director, 0%); Anne Roby (corporate director, 0%); Mark Gudis (corporate director, 0%); Michael Nesheiwat (corporate director, 0%); Michelle Robertson (corporate officer); Nicole J Schulz (corporate officer); Nicole J Schulz (managing employee (on the payroll)); Daniel Debarba (corporate officer); Daniel Debarba (managing employee (on the payroll)); Steven V Lant (corporate director, 0%); John K D’angelo (corporate officer); John K D’angelo (corporate director); Joseph Divestea (corporate director, 0%); Donald Jones (corporate director, 0%); Laurence A Kraemer (corporate officer); Laurence A Kraemer (corporate director); Richard Jabara (corporate director, 0%); Thomas Dubin (corporate director, 0%); Michele L Cusack (corporate officer); Michele L Cusack (corporate director); Brian Wyatt (corporate officer); Brian Wyatt (corporate director); Javid Shahid (corporate director, 0%); Francoise C Dunefsky (corporate director, 0%).
  • CMS’s Provider of Services file records 2 changes of ownership.
  • No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
  • No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
Source:

CMS, Hospital All Owners and Hospital Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated monthly.

CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.

Organisations CMS lists
OrganisationRoleShareSince
Northwell, Inc.Owns 5% or more through other companies100%May 1, 2025
Health Quest Systems Inc.Owns 5% or more directly100%Sep 2, 1999
Health Quest Systems Inc.Runs it (operational or managerial control)100%Sep 2, 1999
Nuvance HealthOwns 5% or more through other companies100%Apr 1, 2019
Northwell Health System, Inc.Owns 5% or more through other companies100%May 1, 2025

How does it compare nearby?

  • Of the 2 hospitals CMS lists in Dutchess County, 2 have an overall star rating from CMS: 1 rated 4 of 5, 1 rated 3 of 5.
  • CMS rates this one 3 of 5.
Source:

CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.

1 compared
PlaceOverall star rating
Northern Dutchess Hospital4

What the record doesn’t say

  • CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals, so none are shown. The one payment cut CMS publishes for each hospital, under its Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, is shown where it applies.
  • Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
  • Most hospitals are accredited by a private organisation (The Joint Commission, DNV and others) whose routine inspections stand in for the state’s; those reports aren’t public, and QCOR holds only the state’s surveys: no inspection on record here doesn’t mean none took place.
  • QCOR says its hospital inspection data are complete only through September 17, 2026, while it moves to a new system.
  • CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
  • In its September 2026 release CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for death and readmission rates, though it gives the rates.

Sources

If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.

Source:

This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.

From the hospital

The public record above comes first. Anything the hospital adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.

Replies

None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospital will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.

Paid listing

None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the hospital”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

From the homeNone yet. Replies and paid listings aren’t open, and when they open they will sit here, below the record.

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