Best Hospitals to Work for in Iowa

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Iowa has a number of hospitals offering nurses and other healthcare workers plenty of opportunities for work and advancement. We’ve put together a list of some of the best hospitals in The Hawkeye State. Read on to learn more.

Iowa’s Top Hospital

• Buena Vista Regional Medical Center
• Mary Greeley Medical Center
• MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center
• St. Luke’s Hospital
• University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics

Best Hospitals in Iowa

Our list is based on criteria from several sources, including U.S. News & World Report, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Healthgrades, that examined factors like patient outcomes and quality of care.

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center (BVRMC), also known as Buena Vista County Hospital, is rated high performing in hip fracture by U.S. News & World Report. 

The organization was accredited in various programs by The Joint Commission, including ambulatory care and as a critical access hospital. It also received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades in 2020.

Learn more about Buena Vista Regional Medical Center:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Storm Lake, Iowa
• Employees: 400

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Mary Greeley Medical Center

Mary Greeley Medical Center is a Magnet hospital. This recognition, from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), identifies hospitals with transformational leadership, exemplary practice and other features that result in lower nurse dissatisfaction and low RN turnover.

The facility is rated high performing in colon cancer surgery, kidney failure, back surgery and hip fracture by U.S. News & World Report.

It was also the first hospital in Iowa to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for its innovative solutions to challenges, as well as its leadership and operational excellence. The federal government gave it a four-star rating.

Learn more about Mary Greeley Medical Center:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Ames, Iowa
• Employees: 1,490+

MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center*

MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center, or simply Mercy Hospital, is a Magnet hospital rated with high performance in hip fracture and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by U.S. News & World Report.

The hospital was named one of the World’s Best Hospitals in 2022 by Newsweek and Statista. It was also recognized with a Gold Plus Level in the Get With The Guidelines program from The American Heart Association for its commitment to improving patient care by adhering to the latest guidelines for Type 2 diabetes and heart attack. 

Mercy Hospital has a five-star rating from the federal government.

Learn more about MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Dubuque, Iowa
• Hospital network: 16 facilities 
• Employees: 20,000+ (across the entire network)

St. Luke’s Hospital

St. Luke’s Hospital has Magnet status and is a member of the UnityPoint Health system. The facility is ranked No. 3 in Iowa and is also rated high performing in several procedures or conditions, such as colon cancer surgery, aortic valve surgery and maternity care, by U.S. News & World Report. 

In 2022, the institution was voted the Best Hospital in the Corridor by the Corridor Business Journal (CBJ) for its success as a business. In 2019 it was named one of the 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health for the eighth time.

The federal government gave it a five-star rating.

Learn more about St. Luke’s Hospital:

• Administration: nonprofit
• Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Hospital network: two facilities 

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC), a Magnet hospital, is ranked No. 1 in Iowa and is nationally ranked in cancer; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery; geriatrics and various other adult specialties by U.S. News & World Report.

The institution has received the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). It was also named one of the Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes in 2020 and was considered a top 10 hospital for consumer loyalty by NRC Health the same year.

UIHC has a four-star rating from the federal government. 

Learn more about University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Iowa City, Iowa
• Hospital network: 40+ facilities (across the entire network)
• Employees: 12,000+

* Incredible Health helps these hospitals find permanent nurses. Sign up to get matched with nursing jobs!

What makes a best hospital in Iowa

Discover what makes Iowa hospitals stand out from the rest of the country.

Benefits

Besides salary, in Iowa, you can find employers offering useful benefits such as health insurance, legal services, adoption assistance, among other options.

Growth opportunity

Besides getting your dream job, it’s natural to strive for higher levels of professionalism. As a RN, you could become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or a nurse practitioner (NP), which are two promising specializations. 

Employee satisfaction

The American Journal of Medicine has concluded that, in general, nurses spend more time with patients than other healthcare professionals. It may help to increase patient adherence to treatments but requires more energy and patience from the nurse. That’s a reason employers invest in employee satisfaction, which also prevents job fatigue, burnout and other health problems.

High patient satisfaction

Top hospitals implement patient satisfaction strategies for many reasons, including employee satisfaction, patient loyalty and reputation. At UIHC, for instance, there is an office of patient experience. They also have a Patient and Family Advisory Board (PFAB), support groups and financial assistance.

Other factors that make a top hospital

In addition to the above-listed factors, there are several other features that may make a hospital stand out among the best in Iowa, including an emphasis on customer service and safety.

Safety record is critical

Infection prevention and control is one of the biggest worries in a hospital. But it can easily reach high performance through the implementation of standards and the recording of procedures.

Hospital policies focus on customer services 

Customer service-oriented hospitals generally expect nurses to listen actively, to create positive emotions in their patients and to apologize when medical problems occur.

Latest technology and training improve healthcare

Many technological innovations also help a hospital perform better. St Luke’s Hospital, for example, started offering a robotic-assisted option for lung biopsy, according to CBJ. In addition to helping patients recover faster, this also increases their satisfaction and retention.

Ethics lead the way

Health ethics explore complex discussions, including treatment options, allocation of resources and advancing technology. If a hospital establishes its ethical values, all healthcare professionals follow one set of guidelines when dealing with people.

Next steps

It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced nurse or a recent graduate, working at one of the above-listed Iowa hospitals might boost your career.

But everything starts with job hunting. Continue reading to check out our tips.

Build your resume

A fundamental step, before you get hired by a top hospital, is submitting the perfect resume. It has to be well formatted, with a contact section, experience sections and, preferably, come with a cover letter. Understand this better with our nursing resume guide.

Join a nurses association

Joining a nursing organization is one of the best ways to develop your career and get your dream job. It offers many opportunities, including networking and learning the best practice guidelines. But it’s not the only type of association. Nursing unions are also a valid option, especially if you want to advocate for better pay.

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Attend industry educational conferences and workshops

If you can’t join a nursing association, you can still find networking opportunities through nursing conferences. Check out our advice section to learn more about working in Iowa. 

Keep up with continuing education requirements

Acquiring knowledge isn’t just a step you have to take to land a job. In many states, including Iowa, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are one of the requirements to maintain a nursing license.

To help you, we offer free Iowa CEU courses so you can learn online, in the comfort of your home.

Search for job openings

Join Incredible Health if you want to work in Iowa and reach your goals faster. You’ll receive multiple job offers and choose what fits best according to your preferences.

Transfer your nursing license to Iowa

Iowa is a compact state. Nurses who aren’t from this state need to transfer their licenses, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. 

Check out our guide to make this process painless.