Palo Alto County Hospital

What the CMS Record Reveals About Palo Alto County Hospital

Palo Alto County Hospital operates 22 certified beds in Emmetsburg, IA with approximately 22 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results (4★), staffing levels (5★), and quality measures (3★). Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone — a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.

The inspection file contains 1 deficiency record from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. No fines or payment denials have been assessed against this provider, suggesting issues — if any — did not rise to the enforcement threshold. Staffing is reported at 3.48 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.89), with RN coverage at 1.53 per resident day — the single staffing metric most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.

Classified as "Government - County" ownership and operating as a "Medicaid" provider embedded within a hospital campus, Palo Alto County Hospital falls into a category where comparative context matters. National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes — ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. Reported nursing turnover at this facility is 22.2%, within a range generally associated with stable care teams. For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report — the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify details directly with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.