Palo Alto County Hospital
Nursing home in Emmetsburg, Iowa, CMS certification number 16E668
3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536 · Palo Alto County
- CMS overall rating
- 5 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 22
- Certified for
- Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- July 17, 2025
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 1
- Fines in 3 years
- No fines
Does Palo Alto County Hospital take Medicare and Medicaid?
Palo Alto County Hospital is certified for Medicaid only, so Medicare won't pay for a stay here.
Certification isn't a promise of an open bed. Ask how many Medicaid beds it has free and whether it keeps residents who move from Medicare to Medicaid. Our guide explains what Medicare pays for.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every certified nursing home from 1 to 5 stars. The overall rating starts from health inspections, then moves up or down for staffing and quality. These come from the CMS Provider Information, October 2026 release.
| Measure | CMS stars |
|---|---|
| Overall | 5 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 4 of 5 |
| Staffing | 4 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 5 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 5 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | Not rated |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Palo Alto County Hospital reported to CMS, split across residents and days. More hours per resident usually means more hands at the bedside.
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 2.75
- Registered nurse hours
- 1.45
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.00
- Nurse aide hours
- 1.30
- Weekend total hours
- 2.06
- Nursing staff turnover
- 22.2%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 14.3%
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on July 17, 2025 and cited 1 deficiency, plus 0 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on August 29, 2024, found 0.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS lists no fines for Palo Alto County Hospital in the past 3 years.
Beds and residents
On an average day 21.6 residents live here, about 98% of its 22 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 22
- Average residents per day
- 21.6
- Certified since
- February 5, 1986
- Inside a hospital
- Yes
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Palo Alto County Hospital
- Legal business name
- Legal Business Name Not Available
- Ownership type
- Government - County
Other nursing homes near Palo Alto County Hospital
- Lakeside Lutheran Home301 North Lawler Street, Emmetsburg 50536
- Emmetsburg Care Center2405 21st Street, Emmetsburg 50536
- Ruthven Community Care Center2701 Mitchell Street Box 0, Ruthven 51358
- West Bend Health and Rehabilitation203 Fourth Street NW, West Bend 50597
- Estherville Community Care Center2001 First Avenue North, Estherville 51334
Who inspects nursing homes in Iowa
Iowa's state survey agency licenses nursing homes and carries out the federal inspections for CMS. A home must keep its state licence and meet the federal rules to take Medicare or Medicaid.
Compare all nursing homes in Iowa, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Palo Alto County Hospital, email contact@assistedlivingaccess.com from your work address. We can add your own rates, photos and contact details next to the state record, or take the listing down.
Questions about Palo Alto County Hospital
What is the CMS star rating of Palo Alto County Hospital?
5 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Palo Alto County Hospital accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Palo Alto County Hospital?
1 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Palo Alto County Hospital?
Legal Business Name Not Available, government - county.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.