Nursing home · Top rated by CMS
Palo Alto County Hospital
3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536 · Map
Government - County · 22 certified beds
Palo Alto County Hospital is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 4/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.48 hours per resident per day, below the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Jul 17, 2025 cited 1 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Palo Alto County Hospital compares
This facility vs. the Iowa and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Iowa avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 3.48 | 3.83 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.53 | 0.73 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.81 | 2.53 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 22.2% | 43.9% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 1.0 | 6.2 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
- Every deficiency from the July 17, 2025 inspection was corrected by August 7, 2025
What inspectors found at Palo Alto County Hospital
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
Administration Deficiencies · Jul 17, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 3201 First Street
Emmetsburg, IA 50536 - CMS certification #
- 16E668
- Ownership
- Government - County
- Certified beds
- 22
- Avg residents/day
- 21.6
- Provider type
- Medicaid
- First certified
- 1986-02-05
- Setting
- Rural
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Palo Alto County Hospital using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Programs Medicare-certified hospice at this address; Medicare-certified home health agency at this address
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
Medicare agencies at this address
- Medicare-certified hospice at this address. Medicare-certified hospice HOSPICE OF PALO ALTO COUNTY (Medicare CCN 161530) lists this same street address. Ownership type: Government. Medicare certified since 09/07/1993. (CMS Hospice - General Information, as of Aug 19, 2026)
- Medicare-certified home health agency at this address. Medicare-certified home health agency PALO ALTO COMMUNITY HEALTH (Medicare CCN 167049) lists this same street address. Ownership type: GOVERNMENT OPERATED. Medicare certified since 08/11/1971. (CMS Home Health Care Agencies, as of May 27, 2026)
A shared street address is a fact about location. CMS does not say whether the agency is run by the community.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Palo Alto County Hospital, Emmetsburg. 0.0 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Lakeside Lutheran Home, Emmetsburg. 0.4 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Palo Alto Community Health, Emmetsburg. 0.0 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Hy-Vee Pharmacy. 20.5 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50536 as rural (rural area).
- Hospice
- 3 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50536.
Hospice Of Palo Alto County, office in Emmetsburg, 0.0 miles away, straight line - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Mayo Clinic Health System-Southeast Minnesota Region, Austin. 94.2 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively moderate. By hazard: inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave very low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | See above |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Palo Alto County Hospital a good nursing home?
CMS gives Palo Alto County Hospital an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 4/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Palo Alto County Hospital staffed?
Palo Alto County Hospital reports 3.48 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Palo Alto County Hospital had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 1 deficiencies.
How many beds does Palo Alto County Hospital have?
Palo Alto County Hospital is certified for 22 beds.