Palo Alto County Hospital: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
Palo Alto County Hospital is a 22-bed government-run nursing home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 1.57 nurse aide hours per resident per day, 37% below the Iowa average of 2.51, and 17.6% nursing staff turnover (Iowa average 44.0%).
Palo Alto County Hospital
3201 First StreetEmmetsburg, IA 50536
Palo Alto County
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release
How many staff hours residents get
CMS reports staffing as hours per resident per day, from the payroll records each home submits. At Palo Alto County Hospital, nurse aides logged 1.57 hours per resident per day, 37% below the Iowa average. With about 22 residents a day, that works out to roughly 34 aide hours a day, or about 4 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 25% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Iowa avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 1.57 | 2.51 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.13 | 0.56 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 1.36 | 0.74 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 3.07 | 3.82 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 2.30 | 3.37 | 3.42 |
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release: reported staffing hours from Payroll-Based Journal data, and CMS state and US averages.
Staff turnover
17.6% of nursing staff at Palo Alto County Hospital left over the year CMS measured, against a Iowa average of 44.0% and a US average of 45.8%. Registered nurse turnover was 14.3%.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Jul 17, 2025. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 1 health deficiency (Iowa average 6.5). CMS lists no fines or payment denials for this home in the last three years.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Palo Alto County Hospital holds 4 of 5 overall; the Iowa average is 3.1.
About Palo Alto County Hospital
- Ownership: Government - County
- Legal name: Legal Business Name Not Available
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Feb 5, 1986
- Located inside a hospital
- Councils: resident council
- Area: rural
Nursing homes near Palo Alto County Hospital
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| Lakeside Lutheran Home Emmetsburg | 0.4 | 55 | 3.00 | 4.11 | 37.2% | 3 | None |
| Emmetsburg Care Center Emmetsburg | 1.3 | 46 | 2.67 | 3.66 | 56.9% | 1 | $25,695 |
| Ruthven Community Care Center Ruthven | 10.6 | 46 | 2.23 | 3.33 | 35.0% | 4 | None |
| West Bend Health and Rehabilitation West Bend | 16.6 | 45 | 2.09 | 2.94 | — | 4 | None |
| Estherville Community Care Center Estherville | 20.6 | 46 | 1.88 | 3.38 | 46.2% | 2 | None |
| Laurens Care Center Laurens | 20.6 | 38 | 3.07 | 4.30 | 42.4% | 4 | None |
| Good Samaritan - Estherville Estherville | 20.9 | 62 | 2.18 | 3.57 | 49.1% | 2 | None |
| Valley Vue Care Center Armstrong | 21.7 | 40 | 2.43 | 3.86 | 35.0% | 5 | None |
Aide hrs and all nurse hrs are staff hours per resident per day. Fines are the CMS total for the last three years. Turnover is the share of nursing staff who left over a year. All figures from CMS Care Compare.
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Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, State and US Averages, and Penalties files, August 2026 release. Figures are as CMS publishes them; check Medicare Care Compare for the latest. Methodology.