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PLAINVILLE — Rooks County Health Center (RCH) today announced it has been recognized as a 2024 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health.
Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX.
Stephanie Bjornstad, CEO of RCH, stated “As CEO of Rooks County Health Center, I’m immensely proud to see our dedication to exceptional care recognized as we are named among the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation. This achievement underscores our commitment to our community, the tireless efforts of our staff, and our unwavering focus on delivering high-quality healthcare. Together, we continue to redefine excellence in rural healthcare, ensuring every patient receives the compassion, expertise and support they deserve.”
“During an era of profound uncertainty for rural healthcare, the Top 100 rural hospitals continue to provide a unique lens through which we can identify innovation and inspiration for how to deliver high quality care to increasingly vulnerable populations,” said Michael Topchik, national leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We’re delighted to be able to recognize all this year’s Top 100 but especially the more than 40 first-time recipients across both categories. It’s wonderful to see so many new facilities join the ranks of our Top 100 alumni.”
Now in its 14th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Featuring a methodology utilizing publicly available data, the INDEX is leveraged nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.
Rooks County Health Center is a 22 bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) that has been recognized nationally and state wide for its innovative and forward-thinking approach to providing the best possible healthcare for the citizens of the region.
To put the acknowledgement of RCH as being among the top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation in perspective, there are 1,358 CAHs in the U.S., of which 93% are in rural areas.