Hansen Family Hospital Iowa Falls, Iowa • Critical Access Hospital • Member of Mercy Health Network
- Metric: Detail
- Facility Type: Critical Access Hospital
- Staffed Beds: 21
- Location: Iowa Falls, IA (Rural—80+ miles north of Des Moines)
- Workforce Challenge: Persistent vacancies, limited local recruiting pool, high risk of staff burnout.
- Solution: Integration of internationally educated nurses (IENs) through a long-term commitment model.
- Result: Stable staffing, stronger patient-care continuity, significant community integration.
The Strategic Decision: Addressing Chronic Vacancies with Predictable Talent
Like many rural hospitals, Hansen Family Hospital faced an ongoing, systemic challenge: Small-town geography and regional workforce shortages made it difficult to maintain consistent staffing on essential units, placing pressure on both the budget and the existing clinical team.
Hospital leadership needed a solution that offered long-term commitment and predictability—a contrast to the volatile and expensive reliance on short-term contract labor. The decision was made to leverage international talent as a permanent pipeline, focusing the recruitment on candidates who were committed to a multi-year tenure and community integration.
HR Director Cheri Geitz framed the recruitment process around the non-negotiables of the Trusted Method: clinical competency and strong communication, key factors in patient experience and team morale.
"We were impressed with their professionalism and strong English skills. The focus was on finding talent dedicated to becoming true assets to our organization and community." — Cheri Geitz, HR Director
Streamlining Deployment: The Value of Structured Integration
Once the candidates, Ryan Reyes and Alrace Macaraya, were identified, the hospital’s partner was tasked with executing a flawless operational transition to ensure they were prepared to deliver safe, high-quality care immediately upon arrival.
The integration model eliminated the typical friction points of international relocation:
- Rapid Deployment: Within 48 hours of landing, the nurses were settled in housing, had bank accounts established, secured transportation, and were introduced to their new colleagues.
- Focus on Care: This comprehensive support model ensured the nurses could focus entirely on their clinical orientation, accelerating their time-to-value for the hospital.
The Long-Term Outcome: Stability and Community Integration
Within six months, Hansen Family Hospital saw measurable operational improvements directly tied to the new nurses' presence:
- Workforce Stability: Chronic vacancies were filled with highly reliable, long-term talent, immediately reducing the burden on existing staff.
- Continuity of Care: Stable unit coverage strengthened the hospital's ability to serve local patients—many of whom depend on the rural hospital as their primary source of care.
- Community Integration: Ryan and Alrace felt embraced by the community, which is the ultimate measure of retention success in a rural setting.
"They are an asset to our organization and to our community." — Cheri Geitz
Strategic Takeaway for Rural Leadership
The Hansen Family Hospital experience demonstrates that solving rural workforce volatility requires a long-term commitment model. By integrating globally sourced clinicians through a supportive relocation structure, rural hospitals can achieve:
- Reduced Budget Volatility: Shifting away from premium contract labor.
- Strengthened Care Continuity: Ensuring reliable, long-term unit coverage.
- Enhanced Retention: Selecting talent committed to community tenure.
This approach successfully converts a persistent workforce vulnerability into a strategic, predictable pipeline.
