Iowa
Free-standing emergency rooms are popping up across eastern Iowa – what does this mean for patients?
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – With both Mercy Medical Center and Unity Point Health – St. Luke’s in downtown Cedar Rapids, it can be a struggle for anyone outside the metro area to access emergency medical care.
But both hospitals are looking to change this.
”If you live in Marion, sometimes it’s 25 minutes to get downtown, so we’re bringing in emergency care closer to their homes.” said Mercy Medical Center Director Dr. Matthew Aucutt.
In August of 2020, Mercy Cedar Rapids opened Iowa’s first free-standing emergency room in Hiawatha.
Now, they’re building another one in Marion.
One physician says these centers help meet a growing demand at their main campuses.
“In our population, people are getting sicker and sicker. The baby boomer generation is getting older and have more emergent medical problems. And so, we’re going to see increased ER volumes across the country over time.” said Aucutt.
Both locations will function identically to an ER, but they can’t admit anyone.
But the cost of transporting patients to the hospital for admission is covered by the hospital.
Doctor Aucutt says he hopes this will be the go-to resource for people who need more than urgent care and don’t want to travel downtown.
“With a sicker population, urgent care just doesn’t meet the needs of those patients. And urgent cares aren’t open 24/7.. We can take care of them and provide the care that they need so they don’t need to get admitted.” he explained.
Though, a study out of Texas, which has 266 free-standing emergency rooms, shows that patients struggle to determine whether urgent care or free-standing E-Rs would meet their needs better.
This can often lead to patients paying more for emergency care when they could have gotten the same care for cheaper at an urgent care.
But Aucutt says most patients know where to go.
“Patients have learned over time in our community what level of service they can get at urgent care versus the emergency departments, and that’s up to them.” he said.
But with only 2 open free-standing ERs (and two more on the way), it’s unclear whether patients will actually understand which centers offer which services… and if their wallets will suffer because of it.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
SIOUX COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) – A Woodbury County woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital after a rollover took place in Sioux County.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says 45-year-old Jenni Madison of Sioux City was taken to the hospital Saturday, July 11.
Authorities say at about 12:01 p.m., deputies investigated a rollover that took place on Highway 60, one mile south of Alton. According to the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, the car was traveling north on Highway 60 when the driver lost control, entered the median and rolled.
Deputies say Madison was taken by ambulance to the Orange City Area Health System to be treated for minor injuries. The vehicle sustained $12,500 in damage.
Orange City Fire Department, Alton Fire Department, Alton Ambulance, the Orange City Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol helped the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.
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Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
A number of Iowa high school baseball standouts were selected during the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. The amateur draft was conducted July 11-12, 2026 from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Gable Mitchell, Kaleb LaFavor, Caleb Klein, Sam George, Nate Smithburg and Kooper Schulte each heard their names called during the draft.
Gable Mitchell Was Two-Way Star For Iowa City High
Mitchell, an Iowa City High grad, was picked in the eighth round with the 193rd overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played his collegiate baseball at the University of Iowa after batting .466 with 12 extra-base hits, 55 runs scored, 29 RBI and 25 steals, going 5-0 with a 0.95 earned run average and 18 strikeouts as a senior.
In high school, Mitchell was an all-stater in baseball and earned all-conference honors on the football field. His grandfather is Dan Gable, an Olympic wrestling gold medalist who led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA championships.
Kaleb LaFavor Lone Current Iowa High School Baseball Player Selected
LaFavor, currently a senior at Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round with the 304th pick. He has gone 3-1 with 40 strikeouts and a 0.79 earned run average in just under 18 innings on the mound this summer.
Klein, a Western Dubuque High School prep, played at Southeastern Community College and Southeast Missouri. He helped lead the Bobcats to back-to-back Class 3A Iowa High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament championships.
During his senior season at Western Dubuque, Klein hit .414 with nine doubles, seven triples, 49 runs scored and 30 RBI, stealing 20 bases. He went to the Atlanta Braves with the 442nd pick in the 15th round.
Several Former Iowa High School Baseball Players Hear Their Names Called
George, a former Pleasant Valley High School standout, played for Minnesota State University this past spring and was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 19th round with the No. 581 overall selection.
In his final high school season with the Spartans, he struck out 62 batters in 44 innings, putting together a 2.07 earned run average.
Smithburg was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round with the 533rd pick after playing at Fairfield High School and for the Oklahoma Sooners.
As a senior, Smithburg went 6-1 with 83 strikeouts and a 0.43 earned run average in 47 innings pitched on the mound.
Schulte, who played at New London High School, played collegiately at Central Arizona, Southeastern Community College and for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round with the 600th pick overall.
He was an all-stater for New London in 2022, helping lead them to a state baseball championship that same season. As a senior, Schulte hit .444 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 50 runs scored, 44 RBI and nine steals, recording three saves and 29 strikeouts in just over 14 innings pitched.
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The Saints claimed a victory in its series finale at Iowa, defeating the I-Cubs 5-4 to snap a four-game losing streak.
Orlando Arcia’s third-inning double scored Matt Wallner and Aaron Sabato to give St. Paul (50-41) the lead for good in the third inning.
Iowa scored twice in the ninth and threatened to steal away the win before reliever Trent Baker struck out Christian Bethancourt to end the game and earn the save.
Ben Ross and Kyler Fedko hit homers for the visitors.
Matt Bowman, who relieved Saints starter Aaron Rozek in the fifth inning, claimed the win.
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