When Pella Community Hospital first opened their doors in 1960 as an acute care hospital for the town of Pella, there were 17 employees, seven doctors from Pella and about 24,000 square feet. The town was thrilled with their new hospital and turned out in great numbers—nearly 6,000 people—to attend the open house. Over the past five decades, the hospital has made both major and minor changes all to improve access and quality of health care in the area. In the 70s and 80s there were numerous construction projects to expand the scope of what could be provided to patients and residents. In the 90s, there were numerous services added to provide specialized services, such as Dialysis, to those in need. In 1996, the Pella Medical Clinic merged with Pella Community Hospital to form Pella Regional Health Center and clinics opened in surrounding communities. This collaboration and regional expansion is a great milestone in the history of the hospital and what it has become today. As Pella Regional faces the challenges of health care reform, new technologies and a growing geographic service area, new ideas are constantly being implemented to ensure Pella Regional remains a state-of-the-art facility. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is new technology that affects every patient and assures quality for the continuity of their care. Through the EMR, your health team can view all of your medications in one location, and since the EMR is digital, it is accessible in every Pella Regional medical clinic as well as in the hospital. Another aspect of the EMR is the patient portal that enables patient to access their medical and prescription records, lab results and send messages to providers in a secure online environment.