Area Rural & Community Hospitals Rank Among the Country's Best
Several independent hospitals across our region have been recognized for outstanding results on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX this year.
Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural and critical access hospitals. Areas in which top hospitals particularly distinguish themselves include quality and outcomes, patient satisfaction, costs and charges, market share, and financial stability.
“Despite unprecedented adversity, rural providers continue to display resiliency and a steadfast commitment to their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Honoring the Top 100 is one of the highpoints of our year. We are delighted to recognize the exceptional performance and innovation of this year’s recipients, particularly in light of the extraordinary challenges facing America’s rural health safety net.”
Three of this year's Top 20 Rural & Community hospitals are in South Dakota and two are in Iowa.
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System in Watertown was recognized as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital for a seventh consecutive year. PLHS has received this award every year since the list was introduced in 2016. Prairie Lakes was also on the elite Top 20 Rural & Community Hospitals list.
This year also marked Spencer Hospital's seventh consecutive place in the Top 100 list. Spencer Hospital is the only mid-sized Iowa hospital to have earned this distinction every year it has been awarded. Spencer Hospital was also named among the Top 20 Rural & Community Hospitals along with Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake.
Brookings Health System also made the Top 20 list. It is the fifth time in six years that the hospital has made this list, which puts them in the top one percent of rural hospitals.
Also on this year's Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals list from our region were Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen, Avera Queen of Peace in Mitchell, Avera St. Mary's in Pierre, and Avera Sacred Heart in Yankton. Avera Sacred Heart also made it onto the Top 20 list. The Top 20 winners will be honored during the NRHA's Annual Rural Health Conference in May.
South Dakota hospitals to make the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals list include Madison Regional Health System, Avera Hand County Memorial in Miller, Faulkton Area Medical Center, Mobridge Regional Hospital, Philip Health Services, Community Memorial Hospital Avera in Redfield, and Sanford Vermillion Medical Center. The Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals will be named in September.