NRHA names top critical access hospitals

The 20 highest-ranked critical access hospitals (CAHs) in the country, as determined by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, were recently announced by the National Rural Health Association. An awards ceremony will be held during NRHA's Critical Access Hospital Conference in September in Kansas City, MO. Washington County Hospital, Nashville, IL, was honored for being among the top 20 in "Best Practice Recipients - Quality" and Hopedale Medical Complex, Hopedale, IL, and Kirby Medical Center, Monticello, IL were honored for being among the top 20 in "Best Practice Recipients - Patient Satisfaction."

The determining factors for the top 20 CAHs are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX and its eight indices of performance: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. This elite group of hospitals was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health's 2022 top 100 CAH list, which was released earlier this year.

Forty best practice designations were also given to facilities that achieved success in one of two key areas of performance: 1) quality: a rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across rural-relevant process of care measures, and 2) patient perspective: a rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across all 10 HCAHPS domains.

"NRHA is committed to ensuring our members have the best information to manage their hospitals," says Brock Slabach, NRHA chief operations officer. "We're pleased to recognize the accomplishments of these rural hospitals." The list of winners and best practice recipients, in alphabetical order and by category, is included below:

TOP CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS

  • Aspirus Ironwood Hospital and Clinics, Ironwood, MI
  • Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Miller, SD
  • Barrett Hospital & HealthCare, Dillon, MT
  • Boone County Health Center, Albion, NB
  • Cass Health, Atlantic, IA
  • Community Memorial Healthcare, Inc., Marysville, KS
  • Fairview Hospital, Great Barrington, MA
  • Greater Regional Health, Creston, IA
  • Guthrie County Hospital, Guthrie Center, IA
  • Jamestown Regional Medical Center, Jamestown, ND
  • Kossuth Regional Health Center, Algona, IA
  • Livingston HealthCare, Livingston, MT
  • Logan Health - Whitefish, Whitefish, MT
  • Loring Hospital, Sac City, IA
  • Madison Regional Health System, Madison, SD
  • Pella Regional Health Center, Pella, IA
  • Penn Highlands Elk, Saint Marys, PA
  • Wallowa Memorial Hospital, Enterprise, OR
  • West River Health Services, Hettinger, ND
  • Westfields Hospital and Clinic, New Richmond, WI

BEST PRACTICE RECIPIENTS - QUALITY

  • Washington County Hospital, Nashville, IL
  • Cascade Medical, Leavenworth, WA
  • CHI Health Missouri Valley, Missouri Valley, IA
  • Coffey County Hospital, Burlington, KS
  • Cox Barton County Hospital, Lamar, MO
  • DLP Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center, Meyersdale, PA
  • Edgefield County Healthcare, Edgefield, SC
  • Grafton City Hospital, Grafton, WV
  • Harper County Community Hospital, Buffalo, OK
  • Jefferson County Hospital, Waurika, OK
  • Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital, Medicine Lodge, KS
  • Mercy Hospital Booneville, Booneville, AK
  • Mercy Hospital Kingfisher, Kingfisher, OK
  • Mercy Hospital Logan County, Guthrie, OK
  • Mercy Hospital Paris, Paris, AK
  • Mercy Hospital Tishomingo, Tishomingo, OK
  • Minnie Hamilton Health System, Grantsville, WV
  • Molokai General Hospital, Kaunakakai, HI
  • Pershing General Hospital, Lovelock, NV
  • St. Andrews Health Center, Bottineau, ND

BEST PRACTICE RECIPIENTS - PATIENT SATISFACTION

  • Hopedale Medical Complex, Hopedale, IL
  • Kirby Medical Center, Monticello, IL
  • Avera Dells Area Hospital, Dell Rapids, SD
  • Bigfork Valley Hospital, Bigfork, MN
  • Fairview Hospital, Great Barrington, MA
  • Guttenberg Municipal Hospital & Clinics, Guttenberg, IA
  • Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton, TX
  • Holton Community Hospital, Holton, KS
  • Kittson Healthcare, Hallock, MN
  • Madelia Health, Madelia, MN
  • McDowell ARH Hospital, McDowell, KY
  • Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County, Darlington, WI
  • Moab Regional Hospital, Moab, UT
  • Platte Health Center Avera, Platte, SD
  • Sabetha Community Hospital, Sabetha, KS
  • Sanpete Valley Hospital, Mount Pleasant, UT
  • St. James Parish Hospital, Lutcher, LA
  • Syracuse Area Health, Syracuse, NB
  • Tallahatchie General Hospital, Charleston, MS
  • Union General Hospital, Farmerville, LA

ABOUT NRHA

NRHA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and well-being of rural Americans and provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research. NRHA's membership is made up of diverse individuals and organizations from across the country, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.

ABOUT THE CHARTIS GROUP

The Chartis Group provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, health analytics, informatics and technology, digital and emerging technologies, clinical quality and operations, and strategic communications, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals, and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results and build a healthier world. For more information, visit www.chartis.com.