MercyOne affiliates recognized as 2023’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in U.S.

Feb. 21, 2023; Clive, Iowa – MercyOne is proud to celebrate our affiliates recognized as 2023 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 13th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®.

“This recognition highlights the compassionate care our network provides across Iowa is among the best you will find in the country,” said Mike Trachta, MercyOne vice president of Network Affiliates. “This is something to really be proud of. There is no application process and recognition is solely based on performance data.”

MercyOne affiliate critical access hospitals earning recognition are:

• Hansen Family Hospital in Iowa Falls provides Hardin County and surrounding communities with local health care services and critical care in MercyOne’s North Iowa region.
• Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage provides health care for the surrounding communities in Northern Iowa.
• Van Diest Medical Center provides patient-centered health care in Webster City surrounding areas.

“We are celebrating the significant achievement of excellent patient care provided by our colleagues in Iowa Falls, Osage and Webster City,” said Bob Ritz, MercyOne president and CEO. “To be recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital is phenomenal. MercyOne has a long standing commitment to our statewide network of urban and rural hospitals working together to maintain access to care throughout Iowa. This recognition is confirmation of how our work as one system of services strengthens access to excellent care for the communities we serve."

Across the nation, top 100 rural providers continue to serve as a source of inspiration for hospital leadership teams and staff working diligently every day to improve the delivery of care within their local communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “The list of award winners in each category is as geographically diverse as we’ve seen in some time, which is wonderful to see. We’re thrilled to be able to honor the outstanding efforts of these top performing rural hospitals.”

Over the course of 13 years, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas affecting hospital operations and finance.