Des Moines ER stays can run hours longer than Iowa average
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Mercy Medical Center in downtown Des Moines. Photo: Courtesy of the Polk County Assessor
ER stays at Des Moines-area hospital systems were roughly one to two hours longer than Iowa's statewide median, according to new federal data analyzed by Axios.
Why it matters: The data highlights local hospital bottlenecks despite Iowa having some of the nation's shortest emergency stays.
By the numbers: Iowa's median was 124 minutes, compared with 162 nationally, during the year ending Sept. 30, 2025, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data.
- The latest hospital-level CMS data put UnityPoint Health - Des Moines at 188 minutes and MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center at 244 minutes.
The fine print: The measure tracks total time from arrival until leaving the ER — not just the wait to see a doctor — and excludes psychiatric patients and those transferred elsewhere.
- UnityPoint's figure includes Iowa Methodist, Iowa Lutheran, Methodist West and Blank Children's Hospital.
- MercyOne's figure includes its Des Moines and West Des Moines medical centers.
Context: Both UnityPoint's Iowa Methodist and MercyOne Des Moines are trauma centers that accept complex referrals from other hospitals.
- CMS' data isn't adjusted for patient mix or case complexity, Clint Hawthorne, medical director of UnityPoint Health - Des Moines' emergency department, tells Axios.
- Larger hospitals often need more diagnostic testing and consultations before discharging patients, MercyOne spokesperson Alex Carfrae tells Axios.
Zoom in: For comparison, UnityPoint's ER time fell between M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical (171 minutes) and Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City (222 minutes).
- MercyOne's was lower than Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis (284 minutes) and Northwestern Memorial (327) and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago (358).
State of play: Both DSM hospital systems have taken steps to reduce ER waits.
- MercyOne launched a "fast-track" system last fall for patients with less serious conditions, cutting the time from arrival to seeing a provider from about 30 minutes to 15 minutes, Carfrae says.
- UnityPoint has added triage providers and inpatient beds and created a discharge lounge where medically cleared patients can wait for rides, freeing hospital rooms for patients waiting in the ER, Hawthorne said.
Yes, but: Getting patients into hospital beds remains a challenge, Hawthorne says.
- Methodist West's ER volume is growing about 7.9% annually, faster than the 2%-3% annual growth Hawthorne says is typical nationally.
The intrigue: UnityPoint is offering $20,000 sign-on bonuses to eligible ER nurses while the union election involving roughly 2,000 nurses remains unresolved before the National Labor Relations Board.
- UnityPoint declined to discuss how a union could affect staffing or ER operations while the case is pending, spokesperson Mark Tauscheck tells Axios.
What we're watching: How much AI-powered technologies can help ease ER delays.