Patient surveys done periodically by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) aim to measure user satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The CMS survey solicits input from recent patients about their inpatient stays, then amalgamates that information into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with the scale's best score being 5-stars.  Based on the most current CMS patient surveys, eight Iowa hospitals earned a five-star rating from patients.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals in Iowa that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of April 13, 2026):

Iowa Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Buena Vista Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Storm Lake
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2. Compass Memorial Healthcare
   Location:  Marengo
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3. Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion
   Location:  Clarion
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4. Kossuth Regional Health Center
   Location:  Algona
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5. Lakes Regional Healthcare
   Location:  Spirit Lake
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6. Myrtue Medical Center
   Location:  Harlan
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7. Orange City Area Health System
   Location:  Orange City
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8. St Anthony Regional Hospital
   Location:  Carroll
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EMT Pay in the Great Lakes States

Data made available earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that over 178,000 EMTs (emergency medical technicians) were employed in the United States as of May 2024. The five Great Lakes states accounted for over 25,000 of those EMT jobs. Other than in Illinois, which ranked among the five best states in the nation for EMT annual mean wages, the Great Lakes region is a generally weak one for EMT pay.  Three other states in the region, which accounted for just over half of the region's EMT employment, all recorded an annual mean wage level for EMTs that was below the national average. Further examination of May 2024 BLS data revealed the following about EMT pay in the Great Lakes states:

EMT and Paramedic Pay in the Great Lakes States

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	8,480	$53,730	4th
IN	3,760	$42,310	27th
MI	4,160	$41,920	28th
OH	5,190	$40,450	34th
WI	4,000	$44,670	22nd
U.S.	178,010	$43,914	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on April 16, 2026