Emmetsburg · 50536
Lakeside Lutheran Home
301 North Lawler Street
Emmetsburg, IA 50536
Palo Alto County Hospital
Inside a hospital. This nursing unit is part of a hospital. Units like this often care for that hospital’s patients for a short stay after an admission, and may have their own admission rules. Ask before you plan around it.
⌖ Emmetsburg, IA · Palo Alto County
No photos yet
Medicare overall rating 4 of 5 stars
Certified beds22
Medicare / MedicaidMedicaid only
OwnershipGovernment (county)
About Palo Alto County Hospital
Palo Alto County Hospital is a 22-bed government-run nursing home in Emmetsburg, IA. Medicare rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall (above average); the average in Iowa is 3.1. At its last full inspection (Jul 2025), inspectors found 1 problem, fewer than the Iowa average of 6.5. None of the problems in its recent inspections were found to have harmed residents. Nurses and aides spend about 3 hr 04 min a day with each resident, less than the Iowa average of 3 hr 49 min. About 18% of its nursing staff left in the past year. It has had no federal fines in the last three years.
Written from Medicare’s published figures; nothing here is paid for or written by the home. Our methodology
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Key details
Facility namePalo Alto County Hospital
LocationPalo Alto County, Iowa
Phone(712) 852-5520
Address3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536 · Palo Alto County
Medicare provider number16E668
Ownership typeGovernment (county)
Official inspection reportsRead them on Medicare.gov ↗
Medicare enrolled sinceFebruary 5, 1986 (40 years)
✗ Medicare✓ Medicaid
Certified for Medicaid; ask whether a Medicaid bed is available.
Quality & inspections
Explore this facility's official Medicare inspection history, staffing levels and quality measures below — sourced directly from Medicare's public records.
Ratings and inspection data on this page come directly from Medicare's public records and are never altered for any paid listing. Medicare data as of September 2026.
What Medicare found
5 strengths and 1 thing to ask about in Medicare's inspection, fine and staffing records for this home. 1 care-quality measure is worse than the state average in the rehab and long-term care section below.
Strengths
- Serious health citationsNone on recordNo citations for actual harm or immediate jeopardy since Jul 2025.Strength
- Fines and penaltiesNoneNo federal fines or payment denials in the last three years.Strength
- Health citations at last inspection1 (Jul 2025)Iowa average: 6.5. Most citations are minor and corrected within weeks.Strength
- Registered nurse time per resident1 hr 22 min a dayIowa average: 45 minStrength
- Nursing staff turnover18% a yearIowa average: 44%Strength
Things to ask about
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- Nurse staffing per resident3 hr 04 min a dayIowa average: 3 hr 49 minWorse than state average
Source: Medicare (CMS) inspection, penalty and staffing records, compared with the Iowa average. Problems may have been corrected since; ask the home about anything listed here. How we choose these
Short-term rehab or long-term care?
Medicare rates these separately, and many homes are better at one than the other.
Long-term care
For residents who live at the home for months or years.
- Falls with a major injury3.5%State average: 3.8%About average
- Pressure sores (bedsores)1.6%State average: 4.2%Better than average
- Given antipsychotic drugs6.1%State average: 19.5%Better than average
- Hospital stays per 1,000 resident days2.0State average: 1.5Worse than average
Source: Medicare (CMS) quality measures, compared with the Iowa average. Lower is better for every rate shown.
Ratings over time
Its overall Medicare rating is 4 stars now, the same as 4 stars in January 2019. It has ranged from 3 to 5 stars and changed 13 times.
Overall rating4★
Health inspections4★
Staffing4★
Quality of care4★
Nurse hours per resident per day3.1
20192020202120222023202420252026
Show the values by year
| Month | Overall | Inspections | Staffing | Quality | Nurse hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Jan 2020 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4.1 |
| Jan 2021 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Jan 2022 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5.0 |
| Jan 2023 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Jan 2024 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3.7 |
| Feb 2025 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Feb 2026 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Sep 2026 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.1 |
Source: Medicare (CMS) monthly Care Compare releases since 2019. Medicare has changed how some ratings are calculated over the years and paused most inspections in 2020, so some jumps reflect rule changes rather than changes at the home. Our methodology
See the full inspection reportEvery citation, fine, staffing figure and quality measure Medicare publishes for this home
From Medicare’s September 2026 data. Each inspection is dated below; staffing comes from payroll records for a recent quarter, and resident outcomes cover the latest period Medicare reports.
Inspection summary
How this facility compares to state and national averages on CMS-reported problems.
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Three-survey history
Citation counts across this facility's three most recent inspection cycles, so you can see whether problems are trending up, down, or holding steady.
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