Cedar Valley Residents Are in Good Health 

Northern Iowa residents don't have to travel far to find excellent hospitals in Cedar Valley.

By Patsy B. Weiler on December 28, 2023

MercyOne

Look at a map of the Cedar Valley region and you will see it is dotted with a variety of excellent medical services. The award-winning and newly renovated hospitals in Cedar Valley serve urban and rural areas, schools training the next generation of health professionals, and a variety of specialty physicians. 

MercyOne 

MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping residents of Northeast Iowa. Two medical centers – MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center, an area Level III trauma center and an accredited chest pain center, and MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center, with a community Level IV trauma designation – offer 24-hour emergency care while surrounding clinics deliver care close to home. 

“We’re proud of the care we provide to this community,” says Ryan Meyer, MercyOne Northeast Iowa COO. “We continue to enhance patient care through technology upgrades and facility improvements, like our recent expansion of MercyOne Bluebell Road Health Plaza and the addition of OB/GYN care. Our providers and colleagues are also committed to excellence, earning accreditations for our heart, cancer and bariatric care among others.” 

The MercyOne New Hampton facility, the only hospital in primarily rural Chickasaw County, has served the community since 1917. The hospital offers a full range of care including inpatient and outpatient service, a 24-hour emergency department and surgery. Also available is a primary care clinic, therapy and rehabilitation offerings, diagnostic services, speech and occupational therapy, Senior Life Solutions and specialty clinics. 

Waverly Health Center

Waverly Health Center 

The Waverly Health Center, which offers a full range of hospital services and has seven area clinics, celebrated the completion of a six-year, $36 million facelift funded in part by a $27 million federal loan. Improvements included adding 30,000 square feet and renovating 40,000 existing square feet. Building a new emergency department, increasing clinic space and making patient access easier was the prime focus of the project. 

“The recent building project has allowed us to invest in our facilities, infrastructure and staff to ensure our patients receive the care they need, close to home. With the completion of the building project, we are adding new services and recruiting additional providers and visiting specialists,” says Jodi Geerts, Waverly Health Center CEO. 

Also, just finished in August 2023 at the Waverly Health Center was a $3 million project to renovate and install a new MRI unit. 

Other providers in the area include Buchanan County Health Center, a full-service community hospital. The locally owned Cedar Valley Medical Specialists is a group of independent medical specialists. 

UnityPoint Health 

UnityPoint Health has a major presence in the Cedar Valley. In Waterloo, UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital is a 204-bed facility. Known as the heart hospital, it was recently recognized as a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital in the county by Fortune and IBM Watson Health. 

Community Memorial Hospital, a part of UnityPoint Health located in the city of Sumner, has been providing care and education since 1950. 

Grundy County Memorial Hospital, in Grundy Center, is a vital asset of UnityPoint Health’s commitment to ensure access to high-quality, convenient health care for rural communities. A $24.3 million federal rural development grant will supply resources to upgrade and expand the hospital’s surgery, imaging and lab departments. 

“Our health care teams are committed to working together to provide you with exceptional, respectful medical care at the right time and in a location that’s convenient for you. We are committed to ensuring that you fully understand your diagnosis and care plan so that you can get back to what matters most to you,” says Pam Delagardelle, president and CEO, UnityPoint, Waterloo. 

Residents can find health care education at Allen College, where 13 degree programs in health care education are taught, and nursing training can be found at Hawkeye Community College, University of North Iowa and Wartburg College.