Pella Regional Health Center is an independent, nonprofit Critical Access Hospital that has served central Iowa since 1960. Originally founded as Pella Community Hospital with 17 employees and seven physicians, the organization has grown significantly over six decades through ongoing facility expansion, service line development, and a 1996 merger with Pella Medical Clinic that formed the integrated health system it is today. Pella Regional operates five satellite clinic locations across the region in addition to its main campus, extending its reach well beyond the city of Pella itself.
What distinguishes Pella Regional in the Iowa market is its independence. The two dominant health systems in the state, Mercy and UnityPoint, have affiliations throughout the region, but Pella Regional has remained independent by choice. This means physicians here operate within a governance structure that is locally controlled, mission-driven, and responsive to the community it serves rather than to a corporate parent.
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Facility Type | Critical Access Hospital |
| Ownership | Nonprofit, independent |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Address | 404 Jefferson Street, Pella, IA 50219 |
| Total Employees | 615 |
| Licensed Beds | 25 |
| Staffed Beds | 19 |
| Total Facility Square Footage | 101,955 sq ft |
| Net Patient Revenue | $102.3 million |
| Hospital Corporate Rating | 4 stars |
| CEO | Bob Kroese |
| COO | Lezlie Morris |
Pella Regional operates a remarkably broad scope of services for a Critical Access facility, covering both primary care and specialty medicine across the main campus and satellite clinics.
Pella Regional's mission is to provide healthcare and healing services with Christian compassion. The organization operates as a faith-based health ministry, and this identity runs throughout its culture. Physicians who join Pella Regional frequently cite the compassion-driven environment as one of the reasons they stay. Patient satisfaction scores reflect this consistently, with repeated patient commentary highlighting respectful, personalized care.
Pella Regional follows a long-term master plan for campus development. A new clinic building is under construction and scheduled to open in November 2026. The urology program will benefit directly from this expansion, with dedicated, purpose-built clinic space replacing the current converted suite on the main campus. The hospital's leadership has maintained the master plan without deviation, adding capacity as clinical need warrants.