Great Plains Health Receives Nebraska Hospital Association’s Quest for Excellence Award
Great Plains Health has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Quest for Excellence Award from the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA), recognizing the hospital's outstanding achievements in patient care quality.
The award, presented at the NHA Annual Convention on October 22, celebrates Great Plains Health's "Every Life Matters: Transforming Mortality into Meaningful Outcomes" initiative, which has positioned the hospital as a leader in healthcare excellence statewide.
"This recognition reflects the commitment of our entire health care team to deliver the highest quality care possible," said Barb Petersen, Chief Quality Officer at Great Plains Health. "By implementing a multidisciplinary approach and focusing on early intervention, we've transformed how we care for our most vulnerable patients across all departments."
The award-winning initiative has resulted in Great Plains Health achieving a mortality rate of 0.46, well below the national benchmark of 1.0. Continuous advancements across multiple specialties, including Neurology and Pulmonary Critical Care, have contributed to measurable gains in patient outcomes and survival rates.
A key component of the hospital's success was implementing a multidisciplinary team approach that includes quality officers, case management, dieticians, coding specialists, care coordination staff, nursing, providers, and IT support. This collaborative effort enabled early identification and intervention for patients at highest risk.
The Quest for Excellence Award is presented annually to one Critical Access Hospital and one Non-Critical Access Hospital that demonstrate exceptional innovation and measurable improvements in health care delivery. A distinguished panel representing the NHA, Nebraska DHHS Office of Rural Health, COPIC, and the Nebraska
Association of Healthcare Quality, Risk & Safety selected Great Plains Health from a competitive field of applicants.