Palo Alto County Health System
Palo Alto County Health System (PACHS) is a physician/hospital organization which formed in 1998 to provide a continuum of care between hospital services provided by Palo Alto County Hospital and local physicians in Palo Alto County. The continuum of care offered by PACHS includes the full continuum of primary health care, from health promotion to end of life care. The main entities of PACHS include Palo Alto County Hospital; PARC Hall Long Term Care Facility; Community Health Services; Willow Ridge, a senior living community; County Ambulance Services, and three medical clinics - Family Practice Clinic-Emmetsburg, Family Practice Clinic - Graettinger and Family Practice Clinic - West Bend.
Palo Alto County Health System (PACHS) from the air
Palo Alto County Hospital
Palo Alto County Hospital (PACH) is a county public hospital organized under Chapter 347 of the Code of Iowa and governed by a seven member Board of Trustees elected for staggered 6 year terms. The Hospital is licensed as a critical access hospital by the State of Iowa to operate up to 25 acute and swing beds and 22 long term care hospital beds. The Hospital participates in Medicare and Medicaid and is an active member of the Association of Iowa Hospitals and Health Systems.
From it's inception in 1965, Palo Alto County Hospital
has grown into a modern, efficient medical facility, serving patients
and their families throughout this region, regardless of the patients
ability to pay. It offers a full range of services in an inpatient
and outpatient setting as well as 24 hour emergency care, surgical
services, obstetrics, therapy and rehabilitation, diagnostic services.
Palo Alto County Hospital is proud to have one of the few Vascular
Labs in the area, as well as offering Mammography, In-house Ultrasound
and CT services, Bone Densitometry, MR and Nuclear Imaging. Rehabilitation
Services include Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy, and
Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs. A Business Health
Program brings nursing and health and educational programs to local
businesses. And a county-wide ambulance service, state certified
to the conditional Paramedic level, includes five ambulances located
in four county locations and first responders in two locations.
In an effort to provide specialty diagnostic and surgery services locally to our patients, specialty clinics bring the specialist to PACH. Some of the specialty clinic offerings include Audiology, Cardiology, Orthopedics, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Podiatry, Pulmonology and Urology. Telemedicine and Teleradiology also extend our ability to provide medical care locally.
Palo Alto County Hospital became a partner with the Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa in September 1, 1994. The Hospital's Board of Trustees signed a management contract with Mercy which made available a variety of management services including assistance with long-range planning, staff development and training, plus physician recruitment and retention. In the current health environment, affiliations will be critical for rural hospitals to stay abreast of new developments and technologies and gain the additional advantages of collective purchasing agreements and sharing resources to benefit the patients we serve.
PARC Hall Long Term Care Facility
Due to advancement in medical procedures and changes in medicine which resulted in shorter hospital stays and less revenue for the hospital, one of the two hospital patient wings closed and was converted to a long term care facility in 1986. Today, PARC Hall is a 22 bed nursing home conveniently attached to Palo Alto County Hospital and Family Practice Clinic. Staffed by certified nurses, it boasts a beautiful spacious dining room, semi-private and private rooms, individual care programs including an activities program, therapy services and social services. Residents have the peace-of-mind, knowing that all hospital and physician services are close at hand.
Community Health Services
In
July 1994, Public Health, Home Health and Hospice services merged
with the Hospital and became Community Health Services which expanded
hospital and health services to patient homes and businesses. Due
to this merger, additional offering of the hospital included Immunization
clinics, school nursing services, professional nursing services
in the patient's home including Hospice, maternal/child care services,
and health and educational classes.
Medical Clinics
Family Practice Clinic - Graettinger (formerly Graettinger Medical Clinic) was established by the Hospital in 1992 to provide health care services to the residents of Graettinger and the north part of the county. This primary care clinic was well received by the town of Graettinger, which was a supportive partner in making the clinic a reality.
When a local physician's group (Medical Associates of Emmetsburg) joined the hospital in 1998, a partnership to provide integrated physician and hospital services for Palo Alto County was formed between Palo Alto County Hospital and Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa, in Mason City. The agreement which created the Palo Alto County Health System (PACHS), provides retention and recruitment of new physicians, and offers a continuum of care for county residents. The physician clinic was named Family Practice Clinic- Emmetsburg and plans included moving the clinic to a future site attached to Palo Alto County Hospital.
In 1999, another county physician's group joined PACHS. These physicians would also be a part of the new Family Practice Clinic, and through this merger, Family Practice Clinic - West Bend (formerly West Bend Medical Clinic) was also added to PACHS.
On July 1, 2003, all three Palo Alto County Health System clinics were renamed Family Practice Clinic, designated by town. The name change helped to show a unity among the clinics as a part of the same system of care.
Willow Ridge
Willow Ridge, a 30 unit independent living apartment complex for seniors, was built in 1998. These apartments, which offer independent living with services such as light housekeeping, noon meals, emergency response system and more, offer a unique service in this county.