Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Panama

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Panama, IAPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Panama · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Panama residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Panama, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Panama. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
19%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
38.1%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
26.8%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
6.3%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
31%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
9.4 mi
Myrtue Medical Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Panama

10.4%have had cancer · IA 8.7%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Panama adults…

Panama runs above IA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Panama adults have had cancer
Iowa: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.3–11.6%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Getting care

Care in and near Panama

No hospital or community health center in Panama itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMyrtue Medical CenterHarlan · 9.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMyrtue Medical Center★★★★★ · 9.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careAll Care Health CenterCouncil Bluffs · 37.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.4 mi
Myrtue Medical Center
Harlan · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.6 mi
Crawford County Memorial Hospital
Denison · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
24 mi
CHI Health Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
24.1 mi
Manning Regional Healthcare Center
Manning · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
37.2 mi
All Care Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Council Bluffs
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
37.8 mi
Charles Drew Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Omaha
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary carePanama is not a shortage area
✓ Dental carePanama is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Panama itself

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Panama; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.8%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.4%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 19.7%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 16.1%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Panama, betterPanama, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Panama gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

1Whispering Pines Park2 acres
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Panama adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.

79%Yearly checkupIA 78%
66%Dentist visitIA 67%
86%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
65%Colon screeningIA 67%
78%MammogramIA 79%
80%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Panama 6.3% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Panama adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Panama adults feel lonely
31% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Panama adults lack social or emotional support
22.9% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Panama adults have been diagnosed with depression
21% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Panama adults are in frequent mental distress
16.5% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Panama adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 9
Panama adults worry about having enough food
10.8% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 12
Panama adults worry about keeping their housing
8.4% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Panama adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.1% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Panama adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

9.6% of Panama adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Panama and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

31.6%

of Panama adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.7%
Thinking or memory13.8%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone8.3%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.7%
Iowa

Questions about health in Panama

Why doesn’t Panama have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Panama.

What hospital is closest to Panama?

Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, 9.4 miles in a straight line from Panama’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Panama.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Iowa figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.