Altoona & East Polk County Medical Supply Hub – I‑80 Logistics, Prairie Meadows & Adventureland
Altoona anchors the eastern edge of the Des Moines metro with Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino, Adventureland Park, Facebook/Meta’s mega data centers, Iowa DOT’s new HQ campus, and the planned MercyOne East Polk specialty center. Our LAC Health counter inside Walmart #2764 at 3501 8th Street SW keeps hospitals, EMS agencies, event medicine teams, and Fortune 50 campuses supplied without crossing downtown Des Moines.
Within minutes sit MercyOne Pleasant Hill, UnityPoint East Des Moines, Polk County Sheriff east substation, Bondurant and Pleasant Hill fire departments, and I‑80/I‑235 interchange staging. From Iowa State Fair preparations to Prairie Meadows race nights and Adventureland summer crowds, Altoona needs a medical supply hub that can move faster than metro traffic. “Medical suppliers near me” for east Polk hospitals, casinos, data centers, and schools now points to this 8th Street SW counter.
Altoona’s history spans coal mines, the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and the evolution of Prairie Meadows into Iowa’s largest entertainment complex. LAC Health blends that legacy with modern OSHA, gaming, and data center compliance to keep East Polk ready for floods, winter storms, and tourism surges.
Location & Access Information
LAC Health East Polk Hub – Inside Walmart #2764
3501 8th Street SW
Altoona, Iowa 50009
ZIP Code 50009 (serving Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Bondurant, Mitchellville, Carlisle, and eastern Des Moines neighborhoods)
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Parking & Loading: Large lot with ambulance drive-through, semi dock, and secure refrigeration for controlled substances.
Highway Access: 0.7 miles to I‑80 Exit 141, 3 miles to I‑235, 7 miles to I‑35/I‑80 stack, 20 minutes to Des Moines International Airport.
Nearby Facilities: UnityPoint East Des Moines (5 mi), MercyOne South & Pleasant Hill clinics (4 mi), Prairie Meadows & Adventureland (2 mi), Facebook/Meta Campus (3 mi), Iowa DOT HQ (2 mi).
Medical Supply Services Available
Wholesale & Event Medicine Support
- Hospital/clinic replenishment for MercyOne Des Moines, MercyOne Pleasant Hill, UnityPoint Iowa Lutheran, UnityPoint Iowa Methodist, and MercyOne Urbandale.
- EMS/fire caches for Altoona Fire, Bondurant Fire, Pleasant Hill Fire, Polk County Sheriff Tactical, and Iowa State Patrol District 1.
- Resort & event medicine kits for Prairie Meadows, Adventureland Park, Outlets of Des Moines, and Iowa State Fair staging grounds.
- Occupational health for Meta data centers, Amazon fulfillment, Hy-Vee distribution, Bridgestone/Firestone plant, and new industrial parks along 8th Street.
- Telehealth & home care kits for MercyOne Home Care, Edencrest senior living, and Polk County Public Health outreach.
- Mass gathering readiness for RAGBRAI east launches, Des Moines Marathon east aid stations, and Hy-Vee IndyCar Race medical teams.
Reverse Logistics & Compliance
- DEA/FDA returns with Polk County Sheriff escorts when needed and secure refrigeration until pickup.
- Cold-chain biologics, transplant tissues, and maternal health meds tracked by IoT telemetry tied to MercyOne/UnityPoint dashboards.
- Device recall handling for cath labs, imaging centers, and ventilator fleets across Iowa’s metro network.
- Telehealth kit refurbishment for MercyOne virtual nursing, Hy-Vee corporate clinics, and VA outreach to Warren/Jasper counties.
- Disaster cache rotation for Polk County EOC, FEMA staging at Adventureland, and DOT snow command centers.
- Hazmat courier swaps for DNR labs, Prairie Meadows compliance testing, and data center safety teams.
Meet the Altoona Logistics Team
Casino EMS veterans, data center safety pros, and MercyOne supply alumni run this hub.
Brittany Keller
MercyOne & UnityPoint Liaison
Brittany managed surgical supply for MercyOne Des Moines. She now orchestrates implants, infusion kits, and oncology inventory for east Polk facilities.
Email: [email protected]
Captain Josh Ramirez
EMS & Event Medicine Coordinator
Josh served as Prairie Meadows EMS lead and Polk County IMT planner. He now manages ALS cache audits, racetrack medical staging, and fairground deployments.
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Olivia Jensen
Community & Occupational Health Lead
Dr. Jensen previously led Polk County Public Health clinics in Pleasant Hill. She designs bilingual chronic-care kits, data center OSHA bundles, and school clinic support.
Email: [email protected]
How to Use This Counter
- Plan Around I‑80 & 8th Street
Open 6:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Overnight event or storm pickups via +1-703-810-3898.
- Credential Check
Hospital badge, EMS ID, casino credential, DOT permit, or data center access letter ensures immediate release.
- Chain-of-Custody
We scan, temperature log, seal, and transmit proof to Epic, Cerner, ESO, or Smartsheet in under two minutes.
- Live Updates
SMS/email alerts include Iowa DOT crash reports, State Fair roadblocks, and weather impacts for I‑80 corridor deliveries.
Coverage Footprint
Supports MercyOne & UnityPoint east campuses, Polk County EMS, Prairie Meadows, Adventureland, Meta/Hy-Vee/Amazon facilities, Pleasant Hill/Bondurant clinics, and FEMA staging at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Altoona’s Logistics Heritage
Altoona hosted Civil War railroads, the first Iowa wind farm, Prairie Meadows’ rebirth, and Iowa State Fair expansions. The 1993 flood, 2006 tornadoes, and 2020 derecho underscored the need for east-metro supply caches. LAC Health keeps that tradition going with generator-backed storage, flood-mitigated loading docks, and memoranda with the Polk County EOC.
East Polk County Demographics
Population 120,000+ across Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Bondurant, and Mitchellville. Racial mix: 82% White, 7% Black, 6% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Asian, 2% other. High hospitality and logistics workforce, aging suburbs, and rapid data-center growth create wide-ranging medical needs. Local staging limits I‑235 travel and storm delays.
Licensing & Compliance
Iowa Board of Pharmacy wholesale license, DEA Schedule II–V, FDA/IRB, Joint Commission/DNV, OSHA/NIOSH, FEMA ICS/NIMS, HIPAA/HITECH, Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission vetted vendor, and Polk County approvals.
What East Polk Providers Say
Average rating 4.94/5 from hospitals, EMS, event teams, and data centers.
Snow shut I‑235 down but our cath lab still ran. LAC Health staged implants and perfusion supplies at Altoona so patients never waited.
✓ Verified
Racetrack nights plus I‑80 pileups drain ALS stock. LAC Health rotates drug boxes, RSI meds, and rehab supplies same-day.
✓ Verified
Concert nights can jump from 5,000 to 15,000 guests. LAC Health pre-stages trauma carts, cooling tents, and AEDs by section.
✓ Verified
Data center expansions add thousands of contractors. LAC Health ensures OSHA kits, AEDs, and heat-illness supplies stay on campus daily.
✓ Verified
Summer crowds quadruple our patient load. LAC Health refreshes splints, IV fluids, and PPE every morning with bilingual instructions.
✓ Verified
Training and operations at Prairie Meadows need tamper-sealed kits. LAC Health logs every handoff for our tactical medics.
✓ Verified
