Pender Community Hospital is a nonprofit 21-bed critical access hospital that operates four rural health clinics, three retail pharmacies, a child development center, and a facility for aging adults and seniors, providing integrated care across every stage of life. After investing in a new EHR platform in 2023, the hospital shifted from manual workflows and outdated billing rules to automated processes and real-time key performance indicator monitoring, reducing accounts receivable greater than 90 days from 44% to 29%, cutting days in AR from 55 to 30, and reducing denials as a percentage of AR from 21% to 6% by 2025. The hospital installed a new CT scanner in September 2025, a significant upgrade from its previous machine, reflecting ongoing investment in advanced diagnostic technology. Pender Community Hospital earned a 5-star rating from the National Rural Rating System and has been named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for multiple years. In partnership with Austin, Texas-based Goldfinch Health, the hospital implemented an enhanced recovery after surgery program to reduce opioid use and accelerate healing times. The hospital also entered an affiliation agreement with Lincoln, Neb.-based Bryan Health to gain operational support and leadership guidance while retaining local control, and joined the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative’s postpartum alert maternal safety initiative to reduce maternal mortality and improve postpartum care in a state that currently ranks 17th in maternal mortality nationally.
