Healthcare providers and healthcare professionals weighing Short-Term Acute Care Hospital roles in Ottumwa, Iowa look at why the setting appeals, which facilities stand out, and which professions and specialties get hired.
Short-term acute care hospitals deliver high-acuity caseloads and multidisciplinary practice that attract healthcare providers from nursing, allied, and advanced practice backgrounds. The setting supports procedural experience, shift-based schedules, and focused career development in emergency, surgical, and critical care pathways.
Ottumwa Regional Health Center serves as a local acute care hub with emergency room, intensive care unit, operating room, labor and delivery, telemetry, and inpatient rehab services, which suits registered nurses, surgical technologists, cath lab staff, and perioperative teams. RehabCare Group: Ottumwa, IA emphasizes inpatient rehabilitation and diagnostic services, which suits physical therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapist assistants, respiratory therapists, radiology technologists, sonographers, and licensed social workers.
Registered nurses are commonly hired for medical surgical, telemetry, ICU, emergency, and labor and delivery roles because of consistent patient acuity and procedural exposure. Surgical technologists and perioperative staff are in demand for operating room volume, while allied healthcare professionals such as PT, OT, PTA, respiratory therapy, radiology, CT, and sonography support rehabilitation and diagnostic workflows. Licensed social workers and case management professionals are frequently involved for discharge planning and transitions of care.
Typical pay for Short-Term Acute Care Hospital roles in Ottumwa varies by profession, based on jobs from the last two years. For Nursing, typical pay ranges from $1,716 to $2,493 per week, averaging $2,027. For Allied, typical pay ranges from $1,212 to $2,723 per week, averaging $1,947. These pay ranges reflect jobs across 4 Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals in Ottumwa.
The work at Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals in Ottumwa, Iowa is shaped by the specialties they hire, the patient mix and pace, and what the experience builds over a career.
Nursing roles concentrate in Labor & Delivery, Psychiatric, Emergency Room, Telemetry, and Inpatient Rehab units. Allied roles center on Adult Respiratory Therapist, Diagnostic Sonographer, Acute Care Occupational Therapist, CT Tech, and Radiation Therapist positions.
The patient mix ranges from high-acuity emergency cases to monitored telemetry and inpatient rehabilitation care, with frequent obstetric admissions in Labor & Delivery. Healthcare providers regularly coordinate across imaging, respiratory, and therapy services, so rapid interprofessional communication and role clarity are common during busy shifts.
Time in these hospitals builds broad acute-care skills, with nursing staff strengthening cardiac monitoring and step-down management through telemetry and inpatient rehab exposures, while emergency room and labor and delivery work sharpens triage, resuscitation, and peripartum management abilities. Allied healthcare professionals build procedure-driven imaging, respiratory management, and acute rehabilitation competencies through diagnostic and rehab caseloads. Roles typically expect current state licensure and standard life-support certification, and the local market centers on community short-term acute care hospitals alongside a regional rehabilitation provider.
Among these cities, Mattoon, IL has the lowest average weekly pay at $1,972 and Fort Dodge, IA has the highest at $2,352 based on averaged salary data over the last two years. Marshalltown, IA sits between those levels at $2,262, and all are Midwestern markets. This comparison helps healthcare professionals evaluate relative pay among nearby short-term acute care hospital markets near Ottumwa.
| City | Avg Pay/week | Facilities | Open Roles | Closed Roles | Related Professions | Accreditations | Most Common Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshalltown, IA | $2,263 | 2 | 0 | 15 | Nursing | – | 13 weeks |
| Fort Dodge, IA | $2,367 | 2 | 0 | 84 | Allied and Nursing | DNV | 13 weeks |
| Kankakee, IL | $2,011 | 3 | 2 | 189 | Allied and Nursing | DNV and TJC | 13 weeks |
For a healthcare provider or healthcare professional on a temporary assignment, Ottumwa, Iowa offers a distinct cost of living, neighborhoods, climate, and local highlights to weigh.
Ottumwa has a cost of living slightly below the national average, a population of about 25,000, and a median household income near $44,000. Ottumwa serves as the county seat of Wapello County and has an economy that centers on healthcare, manufacturing, and retail services. Healthcare providers on short assignments find a community that combines small-city amenities with a more affordable everyday budget than many metropolitan markets.
Ottumwa Regional Health Center at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave sits close to the downtown riverfront and historic commercial district, which offers walkable restaurants and short commutes for shift work. RehabCare Group: Ottumwa, IA is located near adjacent residential areas that feature a mix of single-family neighborhoods and apartment options, which suits healthcare professionals seeking weeknight quiet and easy access to the hospital. West Ottumwa and neighborhoods along the Des Moines River present practical housing choices and predictable drive times for providers working 8-hour or 12-hour shifts.
Ottumwa experiences cold, snowy winters that require warm outerwear and layered clothing, and warm, humid summers that require lightweight, breathable attire for outdoor time. Spring and fall present variable conditions with occasional severe-weather warnings, which requires flexible packing for both professional and recreational plans. Seasonal planning helps healthcare professionals manage on-call shifts and local travel.
Bridge View Center provides concerts, events, and community programming that supports evening and weekend entertainment. The Des Moines Riverwalk and riverfront parks provide short outdoor escapes for walking and cycling near downtown. Rathbun Lake, about a short drive away, offers boating, fishing, and trails for day trips. Historic downtown dining and seasonal festivals offer accessible options for local food and cultural experiences.
Ottumwa, Iowa has 4 Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals.
Typical pay varies by profession: Nursing: typically $1,716 to $2,493 per week, averaging $2,027. Allied: typically $1,212 to $2,723 per week, averaging $1,947.
Specialties vary by profession: Nursing: Labor & Delivery, Emergency Room. Allied: Adult Respiratory Therapist, Diagnostic Sonographer.
Typical shift lengths vary by profession: Nursing: 12-hour and 8-hour shifts. Allied: 12-hour and 8-hour shifts.
Typical contract durations vary by profession: Nursing: 2 to 15 weeks, most commonly 13 weeks. Allied: 6 to 13 weeks, most commonly 13 weeks.
Most Short-Term Acute Care Hospital roles require one to two years of recent acute care experience, current state licensure, and role-specific certifications such as BLS and ACLS for nurses or the appropriate registered or technologist credential for allied health professionals.
These Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals hire nurses and allied health professionals as healthcare providers in Ottumwa.