Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital

Pros

• Ashley Wolf was a wonderful nurse who cared for the patient's father.
• The staff is awesome.
• Kristen Cedar, Viola Lias, and Dr. Graeves and their teams provided wonderful care.
• The staff were very helpful and friendly.
• Dr. Taylor and Dr. Harrison provided excellent care in the Emergency Room, including pain control for the kidney stone.
• The facility was very clean with friendly, smiling staff, and Dr. Loughlin and his nurse were outstanding.
• The hospital is fantastic, family-oriented, and has been a trusted community staple for over a decade.
• The doctors here are amazing.

Cons

• They felt the hospital staff and doctors were not friendly, except for a couple.
• They felt they were not taken seriously and experienced discrimination due to disability.
• The billing department was very rude and unprofessional, making them feel like a burden.
• They waited for hours in the emergency room with little to no updates, which they found ridiculous.
• They described the doctors as lazy and ineffective at treating a finger infection that needed drainage.
• They were told that X-rays would not show a foreign object and were sent home, later nearly dying from the object.
• They would never set foot in that hospital again.

Review

Across a broad range of experiences, Cherokee hospital's emergency department and affiliated clinics emerge as a place of strong human connection for many patients, even as others recount difficult, frustrating, or alarming encounters. A recurring thread is the presence of caring, capable staff who go out of their way to comfort and help people in distress, paired with moments when care feels slow, impersonal, or miscommunicated. Several reviews repeatedly highlight nurses and physicians who left a lasting positive impression, while other accounts raise questions about wait times, triage, and bedside attentiveness.

Several patients point to individual staff members who stood out for their kindness and competence. Ashley Wolf, described as wonderful by a patient who praised the care given to her father, is echoed by others who name Kristen Cedar and her nursing team, Viola Lias, and Dr. Graeves as providing outstanding care during a serious foot infection. Another patient fondly recalls Cicely Miller and credits Dr. Graeves and their team for making a tough medical situation more bearable. The sentiment is not limited to one department or issue; there are multiple notes of appreciation for pain control that alleviated suffering, and for the meticulous attention shown by doctors and nurses alike.

The hospital is also presented as a clean, functional environment with well-kept machines and a friendly, welcoming staff. A traveler who relied on the facility while away from home described Patricia Harrison as kind, understanding, and honest, with a nursing team that kept spirits light through light-hearted poking between staff. A reviewer who visited for a non-emergency visit valued the sense of being treated as a local, thanks to the staff's respectful approach and the way they conducted themselves in a busy setting. For some, the overall environment - clean halls, smiling faces, and responsive personnel - contributes to a positive impression of a small-town hospital that takes its mission seriously.

However, not all experiences are rosy. A number of reviewers recount lengthy waits in the emergency room, with multiple visits noting hours-long delays and a lack of timely updates from staff. One patient described three hours of waiting with little information, while another lamented a multi-hour stay without meaningful communication, despite ambulance arrivals and higher-priority cases. The sentiment here is that, in practice, the ER operates within the constraints of a small-town facility, where triage decisions, patient volume, and staffing levels can create noticeable bottlenecks and frustration for patients and families hoping for prompt reassurance.

Discrimination and perceived indifference are also part of several narratives. A patient with disabilities reported feeling brushed off and not taken seriously when breathing problems worsened, suggesting that some staff may struggle to respond with the urgency such situations require. Another account alleges a medical professional's dismissive attitude and a sense that serious conditions could have been missed or mishandled. The tone in these stories is one of disappointment and concern about how medical needs are prioritized, communicated, and followed up on - issues that many patients fear can undermine trust in care.

The most emotionally charged submissions sit at the extreme end of dissatisfaction. One reviewer recounts a frightening incident in which a foreign object became lodged in the esophagus and alleges that a clinician, identified as Julie Mogenson, failed to pursue appropriate diagnostic steps, ultimately leading to a dangerous delay and a strong declaration of anger toward the care received. The reviewer questions the decision not to pursue an X-ray and questions the competence of the treating provider, using a harsh critique of the degree's credibility and implying potential harm from the care lapse. This narrative sits alongside other strong condemnations of care quality, including complaints about a finger infection that was not adequately addressed, calls for more aggressive intervention, and even broader accusations that the hospital system is mismanaged or unable to deliver genuine care for difficult, chronic conditions such as Reynaud's phenomenon or multiple sclerosis.

Beyond the clinical encounters, a negative portrait emerges of the administrative side of the hospital. A reviewer describes the billing department as rude and unhelpful, portraying a sense of burden rather than service when seeking an invoice or resolving a payment. This frustration with billing processes underscores a broader theme: the burden of navigating private payment and documentation can color a patient's view of the entire encounter, even when clinical care is competent or compassionate in other moments.

Taken together, these reviews paint a nuanced portrait of Cherokee hospital. For many patients, the facility and its staff provide compassionate, effective care in a comfortable, community-oriented environment, with several individuals delivering memorable acts of kindness and clinical skill. Yet there are clear, recurring concerns about wait times, communication, and the handling of urgent or complex medical issues. Some experiences suggest a need for stronger attention to disability sensitivity, more consistent triage and patient updates, and improved administrative responsiveness. The hospital appears to be a valued local resource, capable of delivering excellent personal care in many cases, while also facing real, potentially addressable challenges that affect patient satisfaction and perceived quality of care.

Located in Cherokee, Iowa, this area offers a variety of amenities that cater to seniors. With Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital, Cherokee Regional Wellness Center, and several clinics nearby, residents have access to quality healthcare services. The numerous places of worship provide spiritual support and community connections. Additionally, there are pharmacies and restaurants within close proximity for convenience. For recreational activities, parks like Sam Doupe Ball Complex are ideal for outdoor enjoyment. The presence of transportation options such as U-Haul and Lauck Aviation make it easy to get around. Overall, this part of Cherokee provides a well-rounded living environment for seniors seeking a supportive and comfortable lifestyle.

Hospitals

• Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital (0 miles)
• Cherokee Regional Wellness Center (0 miles)
• Bierman Joan M Cherokee Regional Clinics Cherokee (0 miles)
• Careage Hills (0.3 miles)
• Family Vision Clinic (0.3 miles)
• Cherokee Mental Health Institute (1.2 miles)
• Paullina Chiropractic (16.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• Grace Baptist Church Pastor's Res (0.1 miles)
• First Baptist Church (0.6 miles)
• Memorial Presbyterian Church (0.6 miles)
• Presbyterian Church (0.6 miles)
• Mt Olive Baptist Church (0.7 miles)
• Catholic Communities Of Cherokee County (0.8 miles)
• Crossroads Christian Church (0.8 miles)

Physicians

• Cherokee Hearing Aid Service (0.2 miles)
• Cherokee Family Practice (0.6 miles)
• Iowa Department of Human Services (1.2 miles)
• Mill Creek Family Practice (16.9 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (18 miles)
• Northwest Iowa Urologists PC (18.4 miles)
• Trimark Physicians Group (18.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Family Table Restaurant (0.2 miles)
• Taco John's (0.2 miles)
• Wing Street (0.3 miles)
• Pizza Hut (0.3 miles)
• D.p.s. (0.4 miles)
• Monterrey Mexican Restaurant (0.5 miles)
• Subway (0.5 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.2 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.5 miles)
• Lauck Aviation (1.7 miles)

Parks

• Sam Doupe Ball Complex (0.5 miles)
• Larson Lake County Park (8.3 miles)
• Indian Village State Park (16.4 miles)
• Mill Creek State Park (16.7 miles)
• Little Storm Lake Game Management Area (17.5 miles)
• Frank Starr Park (17.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Cherokee Main Street Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• Thrifty White Pharmacy (16.9 miles)
• Holstein Community Pharmacy (18.6 miles)

Theaters

• American 3 (0.7 miles)

Cafes

• The Main Street Bakery And Cafe Cherokee (0.7 miles)
• Copper Cup (0.7 miles)
• Buffalo Ridge Cafe (13.7 miles)
• The Hoodlebug (13.7 miles)