Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines, Des Moines, IA

Infections, complications and deaths

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide

Of the 6 hospital-acquired infections CMS could compare, Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines was better than the national benchmark on 1 and worse on 0. Its rate of serious complications was same as national.

Hospital-acquired infections

Serious complications

Death rates within 30 days

Risk-adjusted rates. CMS has not published a statistical better/worse comparison for these death rates in the current release, so small differences from the U.S. rate may be chance.

Other complications

None of the other safety indicators CMS compares was statistically better or worse than national.

"Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national benchmark statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Infection results compare the infections a hospital reported with the number predicted for a hospital of its size and type (a ratio below 1 means fewer than predicted), for Jan 2025 – Dec 2025. Death and complication rates are risk-adjusted for how sick patients were. Each death rate counts deaths within 30 days of a hospital stay, pooled over one to three years of Medicare patients depending on the measure. About the data.

Readmissions and return visits

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · Medicare patients · Jul 2024 – Jun 2025

Of the 4 readmission and return-visit measures CMS could compare, Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines was better on 1 and worse on 0 (than the national rate, or than expected for its patients).

Back in the hospital within 30 days

Return trips after a stay or procedure

Medicare's readmission program

Excess readmission ratio: this hospital's predicted readmissions divided by the number expected for a typical hospital with the same patients. Above 1.00 means more readmissions than expected. 1 of 6 conditions is above 1.00.

Readmission rates count Medicare patients who were admitted to any acute-care hospital within 30 days of leaving this one, adjusted for how sick they were. "Better" or "worse" means CMS found the difference from the national rate statistically significant; most hospitals are "no different". Return-day and outpatient-surgery measures compare the hospital with what CMS expected for its own patients. The Readmissions Reduction Program ratios are shown as CMS publishes them; whether a hospital's payments are reduced depends on how its ratios compare with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone doesn't mean a penalty. About the data.

Timely and effective care

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Jan 2025 – Dec 2025

Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines's emergency department is classed by CMS as very high volume.

CMS publishes these process-of-care measures without a better/worse verdict, so the U.S. figure is shown for context; small differences, or results based on few patients, may not mean much. *Median of all hospitals CMS reports, where CMS publishes no national figure. About the data.

Maternity care

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · reported by the hospital · Jan 2025 – Dec 2025

Maternity measures are reported by hospitals that deliver babies. The U.S. figure is the median of the hospitals CMS reports, not a CMS verdict. About the data.

Medicare spending and payment programs

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Value-based purchasing scores by area

The Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program cuts Medicare payments by 1% for the quarter of hospitals with the worst scores. The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program withholds a small share of every hospital's Medicare payments and pays it back according to the total performance score. A spending ratio of 1.00 equals the national median; spending reflects prices, the services patients received and care after discharge, not quality. Some hospitals, such as critical access, children's and cancer hospitals, are not part of these programs. About the data.

What Medicare paid at Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · original Medicare patients · 2024

Average hospital charges and actual payments for the procedures Medicare patients most often had here, compared with the average for Iowa.

Hospital stays

Outpatient services

Charges are the hospital's list prices; payments are what Medicare, the patient and any other insurer actually paid (for outpatient services, Medicare's allowed amount). Private insurance prices differ. "vs state" compares this hospital's average payment with the state average for the same stay. All procedure costs.

Size and finances

Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Jun 2025

As reported by the hospital to CMS; not audited. Operating margin is income from patient care divided by net patient revenue and leaves out investment income and donations. Compare Iowa hospital finances.

Who owns Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines

Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)

Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Catholic Health Initiatives-iowa Corp, a non-profit organization.

1,224 doctors and other clinicians list Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines as a hospital affiliation in Medicare's clinician directory.

Organizations with 5% or more ownership (directly or through other companies), partnership interests or operational control, as the hospital reported them to Medicare. Records can lag behind recent sales. Individuals are not listed. Who owns America's hospitals.

Non-profit finances

IRS Form 990 · tax year ending Jun 2023 · Catholic Health Initiatives-iowa Corp (EIN 42-0680448)

As filed with the IRS by Catholic Health Initiatives-iowa Corp. Matched by name and address, so check the filing to confirm it's the right organization. See the full Form 990 filings · Non-profit hospital finances.

The area around Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines

HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data

Primary care: Parts of Polk are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 14.

Mental health: Parts of Polk are federally designated health professional shortage areas (2 designations). Highest shortage score 17.

Dental: Parts of Polk are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 9.

Nurse pay: registered nurses in Iowa earn a median $78,630 a year. Healthcare salaries in Iowa.

Shortage areas are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration where there are too few primary care, mental health or dental providers for the population; scores run from 0 to 25 for primary and mental health care and 0 to 26 for dental care, higher meaning greater need. Iowa shortage areas