Quick answers
- Does Regional Health Services of Howard County have an emergency room?
- Yes. Medicare (CMS) data lists emergency services at Regional Health Services of Howard County. In a medical emergency, call 911.
- Where is Regional Health Services of Howard County?
- 235 8th Avenue West, Cresco, IA 52136, in Howard County, Iowa.
- What is the phone number of Regional Health Services of Howard County?
- (563) 547-2101, as listed by Medicare (CMS).
- What is the Medicare star rating of Regional Health Services of Howard County?
- 4 out of 5 stars in the CMS overall hospital quality rating (CMS data updated 2026-07-22).
Specialties and care areas[5][6][7]
- Emergency medicine
- General surgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Urology
- Ear, nose and throat
- Ophthalmology
- Podiatry
- Women's health
- Pain management
- Obstetrics
- Rehabilitation
- Cancer care
- Cardiopulmonary services
- Behavioral health
- Radiology
- Laboratory services
- Wound care
- Hospice
Conditions treated[6]
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Disc bulge or herniation
- Spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
- Arthritis of the spine
- Colorectal cancer (screening)
Treatments[6][7]
- Epidural injections
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Skilled care and swing bed program
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
Procedures[6]
- Cesarean section
- Colonoscopy
- Endoscopy
- Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery
- Hernia repair
- Total joint replacement
- Knee/shoulder arthroscopy
- Cataract surgery
- Tonsillectomy
- Adenoidectomy
- Vasectomy
- Cystoscopy
- Tubal ligation
- Bunion surgery
- Facet joint injections
- Sacroiliac injections
Programs and centers[5][7]
- Iowa Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Care (IPEAC) recognition
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) program
- Avel eEmergency telemedicine
- Skilled Care & Swing Bed Program
Emergency care (hospital website)[5]
| Emergency room | Yes |
|---|---|
| Open 24/7 | Yes |
| Trauma designation | Level IV |
Visiting and practical information
| Patient portal | MyChart |
|---|
Recognition[5][7]
- Critical Access Hospital
- Community Trauma Care Facility (Level IV)
- Iowa Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Care (IPEAC) recognition
Doctors and clinicians (83)
83 doctors and other clinicians list Regional Health Services of Howard County as a hospital where they work, in Medicare's official clinician data (updated 2026-10-02). It is not a complete staff list.
Main specialties
- Family Practice22
- Nurse Practitioner18
- Diagnostic Radiology15
- General Surgery5
- Physician Assistant4
- Orthopedic Surgery3
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)2
- Internal Medicine2
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)2
- Urology1
- Otolaryngology1
- Dermatology1
Doctors with a page on this site (83)
- Amanda M. PowersNurse Practitioner
- Anders S. Grinde, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Andy G. Goodner, MDFamily Practice
- Anna MarkFamily Practice
- Arin DeeringNurse Practitioner
- Brendon M. Esquibel, MDGeneral Surgery
- Brian J. Tjarks, MDPathology
- Brittanee J. Samuelson, MDInternal Medicine
- Brooke A. Tappe, DPMPodiatry
- Casey T. Swenson, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Catherine A. Nelson, DOFamily Practice
- Chad D. Rasmussen, NPNurse Practitioner
- Christopher E. Adams, MDUrology
- Christopher J. Winters, MDGeneral Surgery
- Colin Deford, DOFamily Practice
- Daniel K. Short, MDEndocrinology
- Daniel L. Sova, MDDiagnostic Radiology
- Daniel S. Wientzen, DOFamily Practice
- Danielle J. BakewellNurse Practitioner
- Danielle K. CourtneyNurse Practitioner
- Elizabeth Leschensky, NPNurse Practitioner
- Elleson A. Schurtz, MDGeneral Surgery
- Emily E. Connor, MDOrthopedic Surgery
- Emily E. Gaster, MDDermatology
And 59 more: the button below opens the full list.
Names link to the doctor’s page on this site when there is one, otherwise to the official NPI Registry record (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Find a doctor · Source: CMS Facility Affiliation Data
Other emergency rooms nearby
Hospitals that list emergency services, by straight-line distance (not driving distance).
- Winnmed18 mi · Decorah, IA · Critical Access Hospital
- Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton24 mi · New Hampton, IA · Critical Access Hospital
- Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics33 mi · West Union, IA · Critical Access Hospital
- Veterans Memorial Hospital33 mi · Waukon, IA · Critical Access Hospital
- Mitchell County Regional Health35 mi · Osage, IA · Critical Access Hospital
Other hospitals nearby
- Floyd County Medical Center36 mi · Charles City, IA · Critical Access Hospital
Nursing homes, hospice, home health and dialysis nearby
Medicare-certified providers within 25 miles, by straight-line distance. Hospice and home health care is given at home: their address is the office.
Nursing homes
- Evans Senior Living Community0.2 mi · Cresco, IA · 5 of 5 stars
- Gundersen Harmony Care Center13 mi · Harmony, MN · 5 of 5 stars
- Green Lea Senior Living15 mi · Mabel, MN · 1 of 5 stars
All nursing homes in the state →
Hospice providers
- Howard County Community Hospice0.8 mi · Cresco, IA
- Winnmed Hospice17 mi · Decorah, IA · 5 of 5 stars
All hospice providers in the state →
Home health agencies
- Community Health Services0.8 mi · Cresco, IA · 3 of 5 stars
- Good Samaritan Society - Home Care17 mi · Preston, MN
- Winnmed Home Health17 mi · Decorah, IA · 3 of 5 stars
All home health agencies in the state →
Dialysis facilities
- Mayo Clinic Hosp-DYLS17 mi · Decorah, IA · 2 of 5 stars
Community care nearby
Health centers, clinics, urgent care and pharmacies closest to this hospital, by straight-line distance, from official HRSA, Medicare and NPI Registry data. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Clinics and urgent care
- Cresco Medical Clinic0.8 mi · Cresco, IA · Rural health clinic
- Lime Springs Medical Clinic9.2 mi · Lime Springs, IA · Rural health clinic
- Elma Medical Clinic16 mi · Elma, IA · Rural health clinic
Pharmacies
- Norecap Inc0.8 mi · Cresco, IA · Community/retail pharmacy
- Regional Health Services of Howard County0.8 mi · Cresco, IA · Community/retail pharmacy
- Regional Health Services of Howard County0.8 mi · Cresco, IA · Community/retail pharmacy
Assisted living nearby
Licensed homes from the official state licence list, by straight-line distance.
- Cresco Assisted Living0.8 mi · Cresco, IA
- Donald Lundak Assisted Living Center0.8 mi · Cresco, IA
- Harmony Place12 mi · Harmony, MN
About the Medicare star rating
CMS (the federal Medicare agency) gives many hospitals an overall rating from 1 to 5 stars, based on measures of mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience and timely care. It is one piece of information: ask your doctor what matters for your care. See the full Medicare profile →
Medicare quality data
What Regional Health Services of Howard County reported to Medicare (CMS), the federal agency that publishes these results for hospitals nationwide. These are averages for many patients, not a prediction for any one person: ask your doctor what matters for your care. In a medical emergency, call 911.
What patients said (patient survey)
What this means: Patients who stayed overnight answered a national survey (HCAHPS) about their stay. More stars mean patients reported a better experience than at other hospitals. The percentages show how often patients gave the best answer, next to the national average.
| Summary star rating (all survey topics) | Not reported to Medicare |
|---|---|
| Overall rating of the hospital | Not reported to Medicare |
| Would recommend the hospital | Not reported to Medicare |
| Nurses communicated well | Not reported to Medicare |
| Doctors communicated well | Not reported to Medicare |
| Staff explained medicines | Not reported to Medicare |
| Information about recovery at home | Not reported to Medicare |
| Room and bathroom kept clean | Not reported to Medicare |
| Quiet at night | Not reported to Medicare |
| Rated the hospital 9 or 10 out of 10 | 72%National average: 72% |
| Would definitely recommend the hospital | 67%National average: 71% |
| Nurses “always” communicated well | 86%National average: 80% |
| Doctors “always” communicated well | 84%National average: 80% |
| Staff “always” explained medicines before giving them | 71%National average: 62% |
| Were given information about recovery at home | 84%National average: 86% |
| Room and bathroom “always” clean | 82%National average: 74% |
| Area around the room “always” quiet at night | 76%National average: 60% |
| Completed surveys | 62Response rate: 36% |
Source: Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026; patients discharged October 2024 to September 2025.
Infections caught in the hospital
What this means: CMS compares the number of infections patients caught in this hospital with the number expected for a hospital like it. The number shown is that ratio: below 1 means fewer infections than expected, above 1 means more. “Better” or “worse” is shown only when the difference is clear in the data.
| Central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI) | Not reported to Medicare |
|---|---|
| Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) | Not reported to Medicare |
| Surgical site infections after colon surgery | Not reported to Medicare |
| Surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy | Not reported to Medicare |
| MRSA bloodstream infections | Not reported to Medicare |
| Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) intestinal infections | Not reported to Medicare |
Source: Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026.
Complications and deaths
What this means: Death rates are the share of patients who died within 30 days of going into the hospital for that condition, adjusted for how sick they were. PSI-90 combines several serious complications (a lower number is better). “No different from the national rate” is the most common result and means the hospital is in line with hospitals nationwide.
| Deaths within 30 days: heart attack patients | Too few cases to report |
|---|---|
| Deaths within 30 days: heart failure patients | 12.8% |
| Deaths within 30 days: pneumonia patients | Too few cases to report |
| Deaths within 30 days: COPD patients | Too few cases to report |
| Deaths within 30 days: stroke patients | Too few cases to report |
| Deaths within 30 days: coronary bypass surgery (CABG) | Not reported to Medicare |
| Serious complications (patient safety indicator PSI-90) | Not reported to Medicare |
| Complications after hip or knee replacement | Not reported to Medicare |
Source: Complications and Deaths - Hospital — CMS, released September 10, 2026; data from July 2022 to June 2025.
Return visits to the hospital (readmissions)
What this means: The share of patients who had to be admitted to a hospital again within 30 days after going home, adjusted for how sick they were. A lower percentage is better.
| Returned to any hospital within 30 days (all patients) | Not reported to Medicare |
|---|---|
| Readmitted within 30 days: heart attack | Too few cases to report |
| Readmitted within 30 days: heart failure | 21.1% |
| Readmitted within 30 days: pneumonia | Too few cases to report |
| Readmitted within 30 days: COPD | Too few cases to report |
| Readmitted within 30 days: coronary bypass surgery | Not reported to Medicare |
| Readmitted within 30 days: hip or knee replacement | Not reported to Medicare |
Source: Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital — CMS, released September 10, 2026; data from July 2023 to June 2025.
Emergency room times and sepsis care
What this means: ER time is the middle (median) time from arriving at the emergency room to leaving it; busier ERs usually have longer times, so the ER volume is shown too. Leaving before being seen: a lower percentage is better. Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection; a higher percentage means more patients got every recommended early step.
| Emergency room volume (patients per year) | Low (under 20,000) |
|---|---|
| Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency room before leaving (OP-18b) | 91 minutesNational average: 162 minutes |
| Patients who left the emergency room before being seen (OP-22) | 0%National average: 2% |
| Sepsis patients who got all the recommended early care (SEP-1) | Not reported to Medicare |
Source: Timely and Effective Care - Hospital — CMS, released July 22, 2026; data from January 2024 to December 2024.
ER wait times and Medicare ratings nearby
How this hospital compares with others in the area, ranked only by official Medicare (CMS) numbers.
Prices
We have not been able to read a price file for Regional Health Services of Howard County yet. Every US hospital must publish its standard charges online (federal price transparency rule): look for “price transparency” or “standard charges” on the hospital’s website, or call the hospital and ask for an estimate. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Hospital information
| Hospital type | Critical Access Hospital |
|---|---|
| Address | 235 8th Avenue West, Cresco, IA 52136 |
| County | Howard County |
| State | Iowa |
| Phone | (563) 547‑2101 |
| Emergency services | Yes |
| Ownership | Government - Local |
| Medicare overall rating | 4 of 5 stars |
| Birthing-friendly designation | Yes (meets CMS criteria) |
| CMS Certification Number | 161328 |
| Name in Medicare records | REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES OF HOWARD COUNTY |
| Profile level | Medicare data + hospital website |
| Official website | rhshc.com |
| Corrections | Report an error or suggest an update → |
Sources
- Hospital General Information — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), data updated 2026-07-22, retrieved 2026-10-29
- Medicare Care Compare — official Medicare profile of this hospital
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder — map position used for distances
From the hospital’s website
Numbers match the citations above. Checked 2026-11-02.