Comm. Services Emergency ContactsMedical ContactsSocial Service ContactsSenior Citizen Services Senior Living RSVP Dinner Date & Senior Ctr Northwest Aging Assoc Meals on Wheels RIDES SCORE Volunteer Services Silver Advantage Statesman's Club Child Care ServicesDisability Services Horizons Unlimited Kathleen's Res Care PACH HospitalIowa Lakes Comm CollegeEducation Emmetsburg Comm Schools Emmetsburg Cath School Alternative High School Buena Vista University University of Iowa Prairie Lakes AEA ChurchesMedia Radio Newspaper Chamber TV Channel Phone, Cable TV, Internet Civic OrganizationsEmmetsburg Libraries

Community Services

Palo Alto County Hospital

Our Mission is to promote the well being of people while serving with compassion, respect, excellence and stewardship.

The Palo Alto County Health System (PACHS) is a county owned facility, whose goal is to improve the health and quality of life of Palo Alto County residents. PACHS has established itself as a comprehensive community health system committed to quality care and service excellence.

PACHS main entities are:

• Palo Alto County Hospital
• PARC Hall
• Three Family Practice Clinics, one in Graettinger, West Bend, and Emmetsburg
• Community Health Services
• Willow Ridge, a senior living community; PARC Hall, a long-term care facility
• Ambulance service providing coverage in Emmetsburg, West Bend, Graettinger and Ruthven.

The Palo Alto Hospital Auxiliary supports the hospital through its annual membership drives and various fund raisers.  The Auxiliary has made numerous contributions for hospital supplies and upgrading equipment for all departments, including cardiac monitory, Infant Care Station and Fetal Monitoring. The Auxiliary also provided numerous furnishings throughout the hospital, including pictures, drapes, landscaping and plantings.

The Palo Alto County Health Care Foundation was established  in 1990 to ensure the future of quality health care in Palo Alto County. The fund, established with the donations of county residents, will be held in perpetuity. Interest earnings will be drawn upon to meet the increasing health care costs essential to keeping quality health care in Palo Alto County.

Volunteers are an important part of PACH.  There are many ways that volunteers can help, such as Meals on Wheels, patient activities, patient greeters, Auxiliary programs and other services.

The Hospital provides a variety of patient and rehabilitation services to the community. In addition, PACHS provides specialty clinics locally for the convenience of their patients.  These clinics include Cardiology, Pulmonology, Orthopaedics, Urology, Podiatry, Eye Surgery, Gynecology, Audiology, Rheumatology and Ear, Nose and Throat.  Educational programming, along a number of Support Groups, is an important part of the PACH services.