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HospiceIowa › West Union

Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hosp and Clinics-Hospice

Hospice in West Union, Iowa · CCN 161521

Contact and basics

  • Address200 Jefferson Street -
    West Union, IA 52175
  • Phone(563) 422-6267
  • CMS certification number161521
  • Ownership typeNon-Profit
  • Medicare-certified since03/19/1992
  • CountyFayette

Hospice Care Index

10 out of 10

CMS builds this single score out of ten separate indicators drawn from claims. A provider earns a point for each indicator where it is not an outlier against national thresholds. This one scores at or near the top of the scale.

IndicatorThis providerRead as
Visits near death100.0%higher is better
Gaps in nursing visits23.7%lower is better
Early live discharges0.0%lower is better
Late live discharges36.1%lower is better
Burdensome transitions, Type 15.6%lower is better
Burdensome transitions, Type 20.0%lower is better
Skilled nursing minutes on weekends6.5%higher is better
Nurse care minutes per routine home care days14.10 minhigher is better
CHC/GIP provided0.6%higher is better
Per-beneficiary spending$14,113context, not a quality score

Why live discharges matter. Hospice is for people expected to die within six months. A patient leaving hospice alive is sometimes the right outcome — they got better, or chose to resume curative treatment. But an unusually high rate can also indicate patients were enrolled who did not qualify, or were discharged when their care became expensive. CMS publishes early and late live-discharge rates for exactly this reason. Treat a high number as a question to ask, not a verdict.

What families said

Survey questionFamilies answering "always" / top box
Rated this hospice 9 or 10 out of 1089.0%
Would definitely recommend88.0%
Family member treated with respect96.0%
Got the emotional and spiritual support they wanted95.0%

CAHPS Hospice Survey, completed by caregivers after the patient's death. Providers with too few responses are not scored.

Care practices at admission

PracticePatients receiving it
Composite process measure (all seven care practices)100.0%
Pain screening100.0%
Pain assessment100.0%
Shortness-of-breath screening100.0%
Shortness-of-breath treatment100.0%
Treatment preferences documented100.0%
Beliefs and values addressed100.0%

Share of patients for whom the provider documented each practice. These are process measures — they record whether something was done, not how well.

Who this hospice serves

Average daily census: 23 patients.

Where care was delivered

  • Patient's home39.0%
  • Assisted living facility24.0%
  • Nursing facility35.0%
  • Skilled nursing facility0.0%
  • Inpatient hospice facility0.0%
  • Inpatient hospital2.0%

Primary diagnosis mix

  • Cancer21.0%
  • Circulatory / heart disease49.0%
  • Respiratory disease11.0%

Who owns this hospice

GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN HEALTH SYSTEM INC — all 2 hospices → BELLIN GUNDERSEN HEALTH SYSTEM INC — all 2 hospices →

OwnerRoleShareAssociated sinceCMS type flags
BELLIN GUNDERSEN HEALTH SYSTEM INC5% OR GREATER INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST100%11/30/2022
BELLIN GUNDERSEN HEALTH SYSTEM INCOPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL100%11/30/2022
GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN HEALTH SYSTEM INC5% OR GREATER DIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST100%7/31/2015
GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN HEALTH SYSTEM INCOPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL7/31/2015
BRENDA MOSERCORPORATE OFFICER0%1/1/2025
CHARLES JOHNSONCORPORATE DIRECTOR1/21/2020
JODI WEBBCORPORATE DIRECTOR0%1/1/2025
JULIE CREERYW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE1/21/2020
KRISTI FLACKCORPORATE DIRECTOR0%1/24/2018
NICOLE HAVENSTRITECORPORATE DIRECTOR0%1/1/2024
PATRICE KUENNENCORPORATE OFFICER10/8/2018
PATRICE KUENNENW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE10/8/2018
RACHEL ALBRECHTCORPORATE DIRECTOR1/1/2023
THOMAS TORNSTROMCORPORATE DIRECTOR1/1/2023

Source: CMS Hospice All Owners file, linked to this provider through its Medicare enrollment record. Medicare's Care Compare does not present ownership in this form.

Other hospices in Iowa

All hospices in Iowa →

Where these records come from

Everything on this page is reproduced from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (July 2026 release) and, where shown, the CMS ownership and Medicare enrollment files. Nothing here is a rating or opinion of ours. If you believe a figure is wrong, email data@carerecords.org with the CCN and we verify against the official file within 5 business days.

How to cite this page: CareRecords, "Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hosp and Clinics-Hospice — hospice records, West Union, IA." Compiled from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (July 2026 release), CCN 161521. https://carerecords.org/hospice/iowa/gundersen-palmer-lutheran-hosp-and-clinics-hospice-west-union/