Palo Alto Community Health
Home health agency · 3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536
At a glance
- Ownership
- Government Operated
- Medicare-certified
- Since 08/11/1971 · CCN 167049
- Rank in Iowa
- #35 of 107 scored home health agencies
- Services
- Skilled nursing, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, Speech-language pathology, Home health aide · Not offered: Medical social services
- Medicare episodes/yr
- 66
- Medicare spending
- 9% more than the national average per episode
- Service area
- 10 ZIP codes (see list)
Patient outcomes and care quality
Outcome measures: better than the national average on 6 of 13 reported measures, worse on 5.
| Measure | This provider | State | National | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started care in a timely manner | 87.5% | 97% | 96.5% | Worse |
| Checked flu shot status | 69.4% | 69.2% | 64.2% | Better |
| Patients improved at walking or moving around | 69.9% | 88.2% | 88.6% | Worse |
| Patients improved at getting in and out of bed | 87.8% | 89.7% | 89.7% | Worse |
| Patients improved at bathing | 94.1% | 90.3% | 90.6% | Better |
| New or worsened pressure ulcers (lower is better) | 2.7% | 0.3% | 0.2% | Worse |
| Timely action on medication issues | 89.3% | 96.8% | 94.5% | Worse |
| Falls with major injury (lower is better) | 0% | 1.6% | 0.9% | About the same |
| Discharge function score | 93% | 81.5% | 71.7% | Better |
| Health info given to patient | 100% | 95.6% | 92.2% | Better |
| Discharged to community (risk-adjusted) | 83.8% | — | 77.7% | Better |
| Potentially preventable readmissions (risk-adjusted) (lower is better) | 4.1% | — | 4.1% | About the same |
| Potentially preventable hospitalizations (risk-adjusted) (lower is better) | 7.8% | — | 10.8% | Better |
Risk-adjusted rates account for how sick patients were. Data window differs by measure; see CMS for exact dates.
CMS categorization: discharge to community Same As National Rate; preventable readmissions Same As National Rate; preventable hospitalizations Same As National Rate.
What patients say (HHCAHPS survey)
Survey results: better than the national average on 4 of 5 reported measures, worse on 0.
| Measure | This provider | State | National | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care given in a professional way | 98% | 90% | 89% | Better |
| Team communicated well | 93% | 88% | 86% | Better |
| Discussed medicines, pain and home safety | 89% | 85% | 82% | Better |
| Rated agency 9 or 10 out of 10 | 89% | 87% | 85% | Better |
| Would definitely recommend | 79% | 81% | 79% | About the same |
Based on 22 completed surveys (41% response rate).
Location and service area
ZIP codes served (10)
50515, 50527, 50528, 50536, 50562, 50581, 50597, 50598, 51342, 51358
Frequently asked questions
Is Palo Alto Community Health Medicare-certified?
How does Palo Alto Community Health compare to other home health agencies in Emmetsburg?
What areas does Palo Alto Community Health serve?
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (2026-09-23). Home Health Scorecard is not affiliated with Palo Alto Community Health. Data may lag real-world changes; verify with the provider. Is this your agency? Report a correction.