Hospice of Palo Alto County
Hospice · 3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536
At a glance
- Ownership
- Government
- Medicare-certified
- Since 09/07/1993 · CCN 161530
- Rank in Iowa
- #27 of 66 scored hospices
- Average daily census
- 5 patients
- County
- Palo Alto
- Service area
- 14 ZIP codes (see list)
Quality of care
Quality measures: better than the national average on 2 of 3 reported measures, worse on 1.
| Measure | This provider | State | National | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite process measure (7 care processes) | 93.6% | 97.2% | 96.2% | Worse |
| Visits in the last days of life | 91.3% | — | 48.3% | Better |
| Hospice Care Index (0-10) | 10 | 9.5 | 8.8 | Better |
The composite process measure covers 7 care processes at admission. The Hospice Care Index runs 0–10.
What families say (CAHPS Hospice survey)
CMS has not published these measures for this provider (usually because too few patients were treated in the reporting period).
Hospice Care Index details
Claims-based indicators: better than the national average on 8 of 10 reported measures, worse on 1.
| Measure | This provider | State | National | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous home care or inpatient care provided (% days) | 1.7% | — | 0.5% | Better |
| Gaps in nursing visits (% elections) (lower is better) | 16.1% | — | 52.4% | Better |
| Early live discharges (% live discharges) (lower is better) | 0% | — | 7.3% | Better |
| Late live discharges (% live discharges) (lower is better) | 30.8% | — | 37.4% | Better |
| Burdensome transitions, type 1 (% live discharges) (lower is better) | 0% | — | 8.5% | Better |
| Burdensome transitions, type 2 (% live discharges) (lower is better) | 0% | — | 2.1% | Better |
| Per-beneficiary spending ($) (lower is better) | $7,450 | — | $19,227 | Better |
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 15.5 | — | 19.9 | Worse |
| Skilled nursing minutes on weekends (% of minutes) | 10.5% | — | 9.6% | About the same |
| Visits near death (% of decedents) | 100% | — | 89.3% | Better |
These ten indicators are combined into the Hospice Care Index. Spending is per Medicare beneficiary.
Who this hospice cares for
Patient diagnoses
Where care is provided
Location and service area
ZIP codes served (14)
50322, 50401, 50501, 50515, 50528, 50536, 50554, 50562, 50581, 50597, 51342, 51355, 51358, 52577
Frequently asked questions
Is Hospice of Palo Alto County Medicare-certified?
How does Hospice of Palo Alto County compare to other hospices in Emmetsburg?
What areas does Hospice of Palo Alto County serve?
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (2026-09-23). Home Health Scorecard is not affiliated with Hospice of Palo Alto County. Data may lag real-world changes; verify with the provider. Is this your agency? Report a correction.