Palmer Lutheran Health Center vs Mercyone Elkader Medical Center vs Regional Health Services of Howard County
Side by side on Medicare (CMS) ratings, patient survey results, ER times, infections, readmissions and more.
| 3 hospitals | Palmer Lutheran Health Center West Union, IA ✕ Remove | Mercyone Elkader Medical Center Elkader, IA ✕ Remove | Regional Health Services of Howard County Cresco, IA ✕ Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Location | West Union, IA | Elkader, IA | Cresco, IA |
| Hospital type | Critical Access | Critical Access | Critical Access |
| Ownership | Voluntary Non-Profit - Private | Voluntary Non-Profit - Private | Government - Local |
| Emergency room | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ratings | |||
| CMS overall star ratingMedicare's summary of quality measures | 5 of 5 | – | 4 of 5 |
| Would definitely recommend | 75% of patients | – | 67% of patients |
| Google rating | 3.0 of 5 (8 reviews) | – | 3.0 of 5 (5 reviews) |
| Emergency room | |||
| Typical ER visitMedian minutes, patients sent home | 1 hr 25 min | 1 hr 54 min | 1 hr 31 min |
| Left before being seen | 0% | – | 0% |
| ER volume | Low | – | Low |
| Safety | |||
| Death rate: Heart failure patientsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | – | – | 12.8% |
| Death rate: Hospital-wide, all conditionsWithin 30 days, risk-adjusted | 4.6% | 4.0% | 4.1% |
| Readmissions | |||
| Readmitted: Heart failureWithin 30 days | – | – | 21.1% |
| Extra days back in hospital after heart failure | – | – | -61.8 |
| Extra days back in hospital after pneumonia | – | – | -44.6 |
| Hospital visits within 7 days of an outpatient colonoscopy | – | – | 12.7 Same as national |
| Timely care | |||
| Sepsis: got all recommended early treatmentHigher is better | 64% | – | – |
| Typical time in the ER before going homeLower is better | 85 min | 114 min | 91 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeLower is better | 162 min | 220 min | 178 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityLower is better | 228 min | – | 230 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better | 0% | – | 0% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better | 84% | 53% | 91% |
| Discharged on two opioids, or an opioid and a benzodiazepineLower is better | 10% | – | 18% |
| Blood clot prevention givenHigher is better | 79% | 67% | – |
| Maternity | |||
| Maternity safety practices (CMS SM-7) | – | – | Yes |
| Birthing-friendly designation | – | – | Yes |
"Better" or "worse" means CMS found a statistically significant difference from the national rate. Figures without a verdict are shown for context; small differences may be chance. A dash means CMS has no result for that hospital, often because it treats too few patients for that measure. About the data.
How to compare hospitals
Start with the CMS overall star rating, which rolls up deaths, safety, readmissions, patient experience and timely care. Then look at the measures that matter for your situation: infection and complication results before surgery, maternity measures if you're expecting, and ER times for emergencies.
Most hospitals are "no different from national" on most measures. A single "worse" result covers one measure over a past period; ask the hospital about it rather than ruling it out. In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.