Indianhead Med CtrShell Lake, WI
Indianhead Med Ctr is a for-profit critical access hospital in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, with an emergency department. As of the July 2026 CMS release, patients treated and sent home spend a median of 1 hr 55 min in its emergency department, 23 min shorter than the Wisconsin average of 2 hr 18 min.
- Time ZoneCST
- CountyWashburn
- Emergency CapableYes
- FIPS55129
- Area Code715
Visiting Indianhead Med Ctr
- Photo ID and your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
- A list of your medicines, doses and allergies
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- A phone charger
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients spend an average of 1 hour 55 minutes in the emergency department at Indianhead Med Ctr. That is 23 minutes shorter than the Wisconsin average of 2 hours 18 minutes.
Source: CMS Hospital General Information and Timely & Effective Care. Wait times are a median over a past 12-month reporting period, not live data. Not affiliated with CMS or with Indianhead Med Ctr. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across Wisconsin · Other Critical Access hospitals in Wisconsin · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
Infections, complications and deaths
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · compared with hospitals nationwide
Death rates within 30 days
| Patients treated for | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-wide, all conditions | 5.3% | 3.9% |
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.
"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). 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.
Timely and effective care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Indianhead Med Ctr's emergency department is classed by CMS as low volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time in the ER before going homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving, for ER patients sent home (not counting mental health patients or transfers). Lower is better. 217 patients. | 115 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 11 patients. | 315 min | 257 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 20 patients. | 368 min | 287 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 1,530 patients. | 0% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 148 patients. | 70% | 78% |
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. About the data.
Doctors at Indianhead Med Ctr
11 Medicare-enrolled doctors and other clinicians list this hospital as an affiliation, across 7 specialties.
Federal rules require hospitals to publish their prices, including the rates they've negotiated with each insurer and their cash prices. Indianhead Med Ctr lists them here:
From the hospital's price transparency file (www.indianheadmedicalcenter.com/cms-hpt.txt), checked Oct 24, 2026. For an estimate of what you'll pay, ask the hospital or your insurer; Medicare's averages are on our procedure cost pages.
Size and finances
Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Dec 2024
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 Wisconsin hospital finances.
Who owns Indianhead Med Ctr
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Indianhead Medical Center Shell Lake, Inc., a non-profit organization, incorporated 1989.
24 doctors and other clinicians list Indianhead Med Ctr 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.
The area around Indianhead Med Ctr
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Parts of Washburn are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 15.
Mental health: Washburn is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 17.
Dental: Parts of Washburn are federally designated health professional shortage areas (1 designation). Highest shortage score 15.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in Wisconsin earn a median $95,530 a year. Healthcare salaries in Wisconsin.
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. Wisconsin shortage areas
Find doctors in Shell Lake
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Shell Lake, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
Care after a stay at Indianhead Med Ctr
Medicare-certified providers near this hospital, with their CMS ratings. A hospital discharge planner can make the referral.
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Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.