River Hospital has been recognized as a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 11th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength Index. The Chartis Center for Rural Health is a subsidiary of The Chartis Group, the nations largest independent healthcare advisory firm. The Chartis Center for Rural Health provides healthcare segment insight, perspective, analysis and solutions for addressing the biggest challenges and driving performance improvement for rural healthcare.
In this year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals recognition, River Hospital has been ranked in the 99th percentile among 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States, 18 of which are in New York State. 16 hospitals achieved Top 100 status for the first time, River Hospital being one of them and the only in New York State.
“We are incredibly honored to be named one of the top rural hospitals in the country”, said Emily Mastaler, MA, MBA, River Hospital CEO. “Earning this distinction is a testament to the incredible care provided by the River Hospital team. They’re dedication is truly unwavering and to have it recognized on a national level is remarkable.”
Based entirely on publicly available data, the Index is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Utilizing 50 independent indicators, the Index assesses performance across eight pillars of performance that span market, value and finance-based categories. Hospitals recognized as a Top 100 facility had one of the 100 highest overall scores among all Critical Access Hospitals nationally. River Hospital was ranked highest in quality of care, patient perspective and financial performance – demonstrating the Hospitals long standing commitment to providing exceptional and affordable healthcare to our community.
“The Top 100 program continues to illuminate strategies and innovation for delivering higher quality care and better outcomes within rural communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be able to spotlight the efforts of these facilities through the Index framework.”
Rural hospitals are at incredible risk of closure every day, with 14 rural hospitals closing in the United States in 2020. The Hospital Strength Index looks to understand the strength and sustainability of rural healthcare. It is imperative to understand the elements that contribute to the preservation and sustainability of rural healthcare by focusing on the patient experience, quality of care, affordability, and financial sustainability.
This distinction demonstrates River Hospital’s steadfast commitment to providing the best healthcare possible to our community while maintaining an efficient, effective, and innovative organization.