Critical access hospitals occupy a singular place in the American healthcare system. With a maximum of 25 inpatient beds and a mandate to provide around-the-clock emergency care, these institutions do far more with far less than almost any other type of healthcare organization.
The hospitals featured on this list are actively expanding access to specialty care, reducing the burden of patient travel, and driving meaningful improvements in the health of their communities.
To help identify these institutions, the editorial team referenced rankings and recognitions from some of the most respected voices in rural health, including the National Rural Health Association and the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
Note: Becker’s Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. Organizations do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of the organizations mentioned. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list. Organizations are presented in alphabetical order.
For questions and comments on this list, contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com.
Adams Memorial Hospital (Decatur, Ind.). Adams Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Adams County, Indiana, that has served as a vital healthcare option for the county’s 36,000 residents for nearly 100 years, offering 21 acute care beds and four specialty care beds across more than 25 specialties including emergency medicine, orthopedics, stroke care, cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonology, neurology, urology, podiatry, critical care and a full-service family birthing center. The hospital is staffed by a professional group of more than 75 providers, and also supports senior care services through Adams Heritage and Adams Woodcrest, as well as urgent care clinics as a supplement to emergency services. In 2025, the nursing team completed geriatric nursing education through the “Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders” program, affiliated with the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University. The community hospital’s CEO received the “Outstanding Critical Access Leadership Award” from the Indiana Rural Health Association in 2023.
Adventist Health Clear Lake (Calif.). Adventist Health Clear Lake is a 25-bed critical access hospital and clinic network serving one of the state’s most geographically dispersed and medically underserved areas. The hospital earned a CMS overall 5-star rating in 2022, seven consecutive years on the Cal Hospital Compare “Maternity Honor Roll” and a spot on the 2024 Cal Hospital Compare “Patient Safety Honor Roll.” U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a high performer for both pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care in 2023. Beyond clinical services, the hospital has expanded access through additional rapid care locations offering same-day treatment for non-emergency needs, and recently deployed a mobile shower trailer program connecting people experiencing homelessness to hygiene services and medical and behavioral health resources. A mobile dental clinic brings preventive and basic restorative oral health services directly into neighborhoods throughout the community, helping address one of rural healthcare’s most significant gaps. In partnership with Woodland Community College, the hospital launched a community health worker training and certification program to build a local workforce of frontline professionals who assist with chronic disease management, care coordination and social services navigation.
Adventist Health Howard Memorial (Willits, Calif.). Adventist Health Howard Memorial is a 25-bed faith-based nonprofit critical access hospital that serves as the sole provider of hospital services in the area, admitting 1,272 patients, completing 1,562 surgeries and treating 14,221 patients in its emergency department in the past year, while its on-campus Redwood Medical Clinic recorded 21,665 visits. The hospital has earned a CMS 5-star rating, placement on the Forbes “Top Hospital” list for 2026 and recognition on the Healthgrades “100 Best Hospitals in the U.S. for Orthopedics” list, demonstrating quality benchmarks typically associated with larger facilities. The emergency department has achieved geriatric emergency department certification and the hospital has earned a place on the “Opioid Care Honor Roll for Superior Performance” by Cal Hospital Compare. The hospital has also achieved 100% of Hospital Quality Improvement Platform metrics. Adventist Health Howard Memorial offers primary and specialty care across multiple disciplines including cardiology, orthopedics, women’s health, diabetes education, addiction medicine and pediatrics through its medical offices on campus, supported by 256 associates and 313 medical staff members. The hospital was founded in 1928 following community fundraising efforts.
Adventist Health Mendocino Coast (Fort Bragg, Calif.). Adventist Health Mendocino Coast is a nonprofit critical access hospital that sees a geographically dispersed population across 70 miles of coastline, making it one of Northern California’s most isolated rural healthcare environments. The hospital treats more than 10,000 emergency department patients annually, admitting 872 inpatients and performing 649 surgeries in the past year. The hospital’s on-campus medical offices facilitate more than 37,000 patient visits each year, providing primary and specialty care in cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, ENT, oncology and women’s health. Adventist Health Mendocino Coast has achieved 100% of Hospital Quality Improvement Platform metrics, earned geriatric emergency department certification, and holds a place on the “Opioid Care Honor Roll for Superior Performance” from Cal Hospital Compare. The hospital recently achieved intersocietal accreditation commission echocardiography re-certification, the only Adventist Health site in the county with this distinction, ensuring patients receive high-quality cardiac evaluations locally without traveling to urban centers. The hospital’s diabetes management team follows nationally recognized best practices to deliver measurable improvements in patient outcomes, and its laboratory is managed by certified clinical scientists providing accurate, timely diagnostic results. Since joining the Adventist Health system in 2020, the hospital has expanded services, recruited new providers and undertaken significant facility improvements to enhance patient care and comfort.
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley (Tehachapi, Calif.). Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley is a 25-bed Joint Commission-accredited critical access hospital that has transformed healthcare access in its mountain community since opening in 2018. The hospital brings emergency care, advanced imaging, intensive care, surgery and specialty services to patients who previously had to travel long distances. In 2025, the hospital recorded 24,645 emergency department visits, performed 250 surgeries, managed 673 gastroenterology cases and recorded 18,580 patient visits in its affiliated Adventist Health medical offices. The hospital holds a CMS 5-star rating for patient recommendation and has been recognized as one of the cleanest hospitals in the nation due to its CMS cleanliness score. Through its connection to the broader Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health network, the hospital provides access to cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, nephrology and other specialty services locally, and also offers swing-bed short-term recovery care for patients healing from surgery, illness or injury. With nearly 400 employees, the hospital runs a nurse residency program and clinical mentorship initiatives to reduce turnover and sustain a high-quality, locally engaged workforce. A new family medicine residency program is set to launch in 2028 in partnership with Adventist Health, bringing four physician residents to train at the hospital and clinics, ultimately designed to address the nationwide physician shortage while increasing the likelihood of long-term rural provider retention.
Adventist Health Tillamook (Ore.). Adventist Health Tillamook is a 25-bed critical access hospital that earned a 4-star CMS hospital rating in 2025 following targeted improvement efforts in inpatient readmissions and mortality that enhanced care coordination and structured clinical review processes. The hospital was honored with the 2025 “Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award” by the Oregon Office of Rural Health, recognizing its community-based nursing services program, a nurse-led model delivering care in homes, temporary housing and community settings. The program was developed in collaboration with the Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing and supported by a $1.3 million grant from the American Nurses Foundation’s “Reimagining Nursing” initiative. Since its pilot launch in December 2023, the program has served more than 100 patients across six rural clinics and demonstrated statistically significant improvements in medication adherence, chronic disease management and patient engagement, and the model now supports statewide replication through Oregon House Bill 2789, which enables reimbursement for nurse-led community-based care. In 2025, the hospital restored dialysis services through the reopening of the Tillamook Kidney Center, operated by Dialysis Clinic, removing a significant barrier for patients who had been required to travel long distances multiple times weekly for treatment. Adventist Health Tillamook also became the first standalone approved worksite outside of a formal Blue Zones Project community to earn Blue Zones worksite certification. The hospital financially supported the development of a Tillamook Bay Community College nursing program, whose first graduating class of 14 nurses completed in 2025. The hospital also began a multi-phase expansion and renovation of its surgery center to increase procedural capacity and reduce out-of-area transfers for more than 27,000 residents in Tillamook County.
Alice Hyde Medical Center (Malone, N.Y.). Located in one of New York’s most rural counties, Alice Hyde Medical Center is committed to providing high quality care to more than 37,000 residents of the northern part of the state. Alice Hyde is a 25-bed acute care facility that, in 2015, became home to The Alice Center, a 135-bed skilled nursing facility with a 30-bed assisted living program. The medical center provides a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency department, laboratory services, an array of surgical services, a wide range of outpatient services and access to numerous clinical specialties through its partnership with Burlington-based academic health system University of Vermont Health Network. As a critical access hospital, Alice Hyde offers sub-acute care to patients who meet specific criteria, reducing unnecessary transfers to skilled nursing facilities.
Allina Health New Ulm (Minn.) Medical Center. Allina Health’s New Ulm Medical Center is a nonprofit hospital and clinic serving south-central Minnesota, offering inpatient, outpatient and emergency care, as well as more than 70 affiliated physicians and advanced practice providers and a full complement of visiting specialists across multiple service lines. The hospital offers a birth center, the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, home and palliative care, the Allina Health Cancer Institute and a level 4 trauma center. New Ulm Medical Center has been named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for the 12th time and was recognized by the National Rural Health Association as a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” in the U.S. The hospital also received the Vizient “Bernard A. Birnbaum Quality and Accountability Award” and the Greenhealth “Partner for Change Award,” as well as American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Rural Stroke Bronze” recognition. In workforce development, the hospital hosts a “Scrub Club” for high school and college students exploring healthcare careers, and offers five healthcare career scholarships for students pursuing nursing, advanced practice or other health-related degrees. A pilot program recently gave eight New Ulm High School seniors the opportunity to explore different healthcare fields through monthly rotations at the medical center, cycling through departments including radiology, oncology, the birth center, laboratory and pharmacy.
Allina Health River Falls (Wis.) Area Hospital. Allina Health’s River Falls Area Hospital is a 25-bed nonprofit critical access hospital in western Wisconsin that has earned CMS 5-star inpatient experience recognition and Wisconsin Hospital Association “Checkpoint Top Performer” status across multiple quality and safety categories including infections, patient experience, patient safety and readmissions. The hospital’s “Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Culture Survey” composite average reached 81% positive in 2024, placing it equal to or higher than 91% of facilities in the national database, up from 68% in 2021. River Falls Area Hospital has been continuously named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by Chartis and has received Lown Institute “A” grades for inclusivity. For 10 consecutive years, the hospital has hosted the Project SEARCH transition-to-work program in partnership with the River Falls School District, providing a year of employment preparation for individuals 18 and older with developmental disabilities through total workplace immersion and worksite rotations. The hospital has also seen significant growth in its swing-bed and transitional care program, which has demonstrated the ability to transition most post-acute patients back to their homes, reduce inpatient days and free up metro system capacity. The hospital also holds “Get With The Guidelines Rural Stroke Bronze” recognition from the American Heart Association.
Amery (Wis.) Hospital & Clinic. Amery Hospital & Clinic has served the community since 1956, offering primary care, emergency and inpatient hospital services alongside a wide range of specialties including cardiology, mental health, oncology, orthopedics, women’s health and ophthalmology. The hospital has earned national recognition as a leader in excellent patient outcomes from The Chartis Center for Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, ranking among the top 25% of rural hospitals in the nation. Amery Hospital & Clinic also stands out for its environmental commitment, becoming the first hospital in the world to earn “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” status. The hospital extends its reach beyond its main campus through community clinics, ensuring residents across the region have access to care close to home. As part of the Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners healthcare system, patients have access to the full array of system care and services. The hospital’s care team works closely with partner hospitals and clinics to ensure continuity and access to specialized services for patients across all stages of life.
Ascension St. Vincent Clay (Brazil, Ind.). Ascension St. Vincent Clay is a critical access hospital in rural Indiana. The hospital’s family medicine, internal medicine, pediatric, respiratory, and rehabilitation service lines provide patients with safe, high-quality care. In addition, the hospital offers imaging, lab tests and a 24/7 emergency department. Patients also have close-to-home access to orthopedic, urology, general, podiatry and gastrointestinal surgery care. The hospital offers all of these services on one convenient campus.
Ascension St. Vincent Jennings (North Vernon, Ind.). 17-bed Ascension St. Vincent Jennings offers 24/7 emergency care, family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Patients benefit from imaging, lab tests, respiratory and rehabilitation services as well. In addition, surgery care is provided for patients with orthopedic, general and ophthalmological surgical needs. The hospital’s geropsychology clinic provides outpatient mental health care for the rural area’s senior population. In January 2024, Ascension St. Vincent Jennings opened a new pulmonary rehabilitation clinic after receiving a grant based on the needs of the community.
Ascension St. Vincent Randolph (Winchester, Ind.). Ascension St. Vincent Randolph is a designated critical access hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, family medicine services, internal medicine care and pediatrics. The hospital provides surgical care in orthopedics, urology, general surgery, ENT, and obstetrics and gynecology. Ascension St. Vincent Randolph was recognized as an Indiana Hospital Association “INspire Hospital of Distinction” for 2023. This honor speaks to the hospital’s success in safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco and perinatal substance use services.
Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center (Cedartown, Ga.). Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center is a 25-bed nationally recognized critical access hospital in rural northwest Georgia that provides essential healthcare services to approximately 40,000 people. The hospital operates as a level 4 trauma center, with a geriatric certified emergency department recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians, and is an American Heart Association “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll” facility. Atrium Health Floyd Polk has received the American Heart Association’s “Get With the Guidelines Gold Award” for heart failure care for nine consecutive years, from 2017 through 2025, and in 2025 also earned “Get With the Guidelines Rural Stroke Bronze.” In 2024, the hospital opened a congestive heart failure clinic that brings comprehensive, evidence-based cardiovascular services closer to rural patients, and received a first-place “Patient Safety and Quality Award” from the Georgia Hospital Association in the critical access hospitals category for identifying and treating iron deficiencies in heart failure patients. The hospital also offers cardiac rehabilitation, providing continuity across the cardiovascular care continuum. In partnership with the Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation, the hospital has invested in community wellness through projects including accessibility upgrades to a local playground, a greenhouse at a local middle school supporting hands-on learning and fresh produce access for students, and construction of new lighted mini soccer fields across three communities.
Atrium Health Navicent Peach (Byron, Ga.). Atrium Health Navicent Peach is a 25-bed critical access hospital that supports communities in central Georgia, featuring 25 private inpatient rooms, a 14-room emergency department including two trauma rooms and a state-of-the-art orthopedic-sized operating room. In 2025, the hospital’s emergency department handled more than 31,000 visits and received the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award.” The hospital has reported zero hospital-acquired infections for more than one year and in 2026 received a Georgia Hospital Association “Patient Safety and Quality Award,” second place in the critical access hospitals category, for its initiative sustaining the elimination of hospital-acquired infections through standardized practices and staff engagement. Since 2022, the hospital has provided school-based virtual care for Peach County Schools, and in 2025 that partnership expanded to include virtual behavioral health services and an interim school nurse. Through the “Georgia HEART Hospital Program,” the hospital raised nearly $1 million in 2025, a record high, which has been reinvested into kitchen equipment upgrades, nurses’ station improvements and new laboratory chemistry equipment. The hospital is advancing plans to expand the emergency department and imaging services in 2026.
Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital (Miller, S.D.). Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital is an 11-bed critical access hospital serving Hand County and the surrounding region in east-central South Dakota, where the next nearest hospital is 45 miles away and the next nearest clinic is 25 miles away. The hospital has been named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by Chartis Health every year since 2017. Founded in 1947 and operating since 2008 as a leased facility within the Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health system, with Hand County retaining ownership, the hospital offers inpatient, outpatient and clinic services across a 37,000-square-foot facility and operates a satellite therapy clinic in Highmore, S.D., to bring services closer to residents. Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital maintains one family practice physician, one internal medicine physician, three certified nurse practitioners and 85 employees, and provides outreach specialty services in audiology, cardiology, behavioral health, general surgery, orthopedics and other disciplines through visiting physicians. In May 2026, the hospital will transition to the Epic EHR as part of a systemwide Avera Health rollout, enabling greater patient engagement including online appointments and virtual visits. The hospital’s telemedicine partnership with Avera Health and Avel eCare provides 24-hour access for both emergent and consulting care, including specialty consults in gastroenterology, oncology, neurology and other disciplines.
Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital (O’Neill, Neb.). Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital is a critical access hospital that serves as a lifeline for rural residents across north central Nebraska and surrounding communities in south central South Dakota, providing 24/7 emergency care alongside primary care, surgical, rehabilitation and specialty services. The hospital houses dialysis, family medicine, oncology and hematology, orthopedics, a sleep lab, therapy and rehabilitation and a women’s center, ensuring patients can access a broad range of services close to home. For specialties not available in person, the hospital offers telemedicine connections to other Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health locations, and when emergencies require air transport, the system’s Careflight air ambulance team provides access to advanced life-saving technology and expert trauma teams. Avera St. Anthony’s holds a level 5 trauma center designation and has earned accreditation from the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. As part of the broader Avera Health system, patients have access to the full array of the system’s care and services across the region. Affiliated primary care clinics and physicians further extend the hospital’s reach into the surrounding rural communities it serves.
Banner Page (Ariz.) Hospital. The 25-bed critical access hospital serves geographically isolated Northern Arizona, surrounding rural communities and the Navajo Nation. It supports a significant seasonal population, driven by tourism to Lake Powell and nearby national recreation areas, requiring flexible operations and surge-ready care delivery. The level 4 trauma center is vital in stabilizing patients across a vast area, where the nearest tertiary facilities are over 120 miles away. Comprehensive scope of services uncommon for its size includes emergency, surgery, obstetrics, imaging, cardiopulmonary and rehabilitation care. The 120 annual births preserves local access to obstetric care in a rural region where such services are limited nationally. The 24/7 general surgery coverage ensures immediate access to surgical evaluation and intervention, reduces care delays, enhances emergency response, and limits need for transfers in a region where transport times can exceed two hours. To strengthen maternal and primary care access, a collaborative care model integrates hospital, clinic and community resources, including: partnering with a federally qualified health center to support obstetric and hospital care; a new campus obstetrics provider health clinic; and a telehealth-enabled stroke service for rapid consultation and treatment decisions. Collaboration for behavioral health and crisis support addresses gaps in mental health services in this rural and frontier setting. The hospital twice earned Phoenix-based Banner Health’s “Best of the Best” award for quality, patient experience and operational performance.
Banner Payson Medical Center (Payson, Ariz.). The 25-bed critical access hospital is known for quality excellence, evidenced by a 5-star quality rating from CMS and recognition as Phoenix-based Banner Health’s “Best of the Best” among small hospitals within the multi-state health system. Banner Payson offers a number of comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, imaging, medical, surgical and emergency services to local communities. Originally established in 1954 as a community health clinic, the hospital joined the broader health system in 2015. Since then, Banner Payson has continued significant operational growth and service line expansion. For example, a senior emotional wellness program addresses the behavioral health needs of the aging population. Capital improvements to outpatient imaging infrastructure include advanced technology that enables enhanced diagnostic accuracy and throughput, and the expansion and relocation of the ambulatory treatment unit optimizes patient flow and access. Banner Payson’s active community engagement focuses on participating in regional health and wellness initiatives, educational forums and public health awareness campaigns that align with Banner Health’s commitment to population health management. In fiscal year 2024, the hospital 243 team members delivered care, including over 15,000 emergency department visits, 1,300 inpatient admissions and 137 births. The volunteer program contributed 8,481 hours through 74 active volunteers.
Banner Torrington (Wyo.) Community Hospital. The 25-bed critical access hospital serves patients of all ages with a mission centering on providing comprehensive care close to home for the communities it serves. The hospital is situated on the historic Mormon Trail, near the Oregon and California trails. Among a small percentage of rural hospitals continuing to offer needed obstetrics services in a geographically isolated area, the hospital delivers 80-100 babies annually in its newly remodeled labor, delivery and recovery suites. The hospital’s two state-of-the-art operating rooms, opened in 2020, support general surgery, gynecology, endoscopy, urology, podiatry and orthopedic procedures. Banner Torrington Community Hospital is also one of the few small rural community hospitals equipped with MAKO robotic-assisted surgery technology. The hospital has demonstrated continuous improvement in CMS star ratings and earned a perfect score of 120 out of 120 points on the Leapfrog hospital safety grade in recent years. The hospital’s comprehensive outpatient services include advanced radiology equipment, an expansive physical therapy facility, laboratory services and additional outpatient care lines. The hospital partners with Eastern Wyoming Community College to develop a robust nursing program, creating a sustainable pipeline for future healthcare professionals and addressing workforce succession planning needs in rural healthcare.
Benson (Ariz.) Hospital. Benson Hospital is a 22-bed critical access hospital that’s part of the Tucson, Ariz.-based TMC Health system. The hospital provides 24/7 emergency services, inpatient care and a comprehensive range of outpatient services through two rural health clinics, ensuring consistent access across Southeast Arizona. The hospital’s swing-bed program, certified by The Compliance Team, is one of only two such certified programs in the state. The hospital recently enhanced its diagnostic capabilities with the addition of a Hologic DXA system, providing faster and more detailed bone density imaging for patients, particularly older adults, who can now receive testing without traveling outside their community. Through a partnership with the Cochise Technology District’s patient care technician program, Benson Hospital offers rural high school students hands-on clinical training and career development, and six graduates from the program now work at the hospital. The hospital also introduced healthcare-focused summer camps for youth ages 11 to 15, providing early career exposure and helping address long-term rural workforce shortages. The “Cochise Produce Rx” program, developed in partnership with The Local Co-op, provides eligible patients with weekly bags of locally grown produce alongside nutrition education and health monitoring to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic disease. TMC Health, the hospital’s parent organization, was named to Forbes‘ 2026 list of “America’s Best Large Employers.”
Big Sandy (Mont.) Medical Center. Big Sandy Medical Center is a nonprofit, community-governed 25-bed critical access hospital and federally designated rural health clinic. The medical center opened in 1965 and now operates as the only 24-hour care facility within 35 miles of Big Sandy. The hospital’s emergency department is open 24/7 and ranks as the 4th fastest in the nation, with an average visit time of just 53 minutes, supported by a nursing team and on-site lab, X-ray and CT imaging capabilities. The rural health clinic provides comprehensive family medicine for patients of all ages, with provider expertise spanning internal medicine, endocrinology, advanced diabetes management, functional health and psychiatric mental health, complemented by a same-day care clinic for patients who need to be seen quickly. The hospital’s long-term care unit offers around-the-clock skilled nursing in a warm, activity-rich setting with trained staff, individualized care plans and on-site amenities including a beauty shop, dental clinic and daily activity program. A transitional care and swing-bed program allows patients to recover close to home following acute stays, with skilled nursing, physical therapy and comprehensive discharge planning support. Big Sandy Medical Center also provides hospice and palliative care, telehealth services accessible from anywhere in Montana, chiropractic care, seasonal mammography screening and on-site specialist partnerships.
Bingham Memorial Hospital (Blackfoot, Idaho). Bingham Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit 25-bed critical access hospital in Eastern Idaho and part of Bingham Healthcare, a network that now includes two hospitals, an ambulatory surgery center, six urgent care facilities and more than 20 physician offices. The system is built around Eastern Idaho’s largest employed physician group of more than 160 credentialed specialists delivering over 100 patient services. The system celebrated 75 years of service to Eastern Idaho in 2025, with a recognition visit from the American Hospital Association, and the hospital holds level 4 trauma center status from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. In early 2026, Bingham Memorial partnered with Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho to launch a first-of-its-kind program in the Pacific Northwest. The program uses the Crow’s Nest biopsy catchment system to capture tumor cells typically discarded during standard core needle procedures, enabling expanded molecular testing and genomic sequencing to more precisely tailor cancer treatment. Bingham Memorial received a Qualis Health recognition for implementing an innovative clinical pharmacy anticoagulation monitoring service that improved patient outcomes. In spring 2026, the greater Bingham Healthcare broke ground on a new urgent care and specialty clinic to provide same-day walk-in care, X-ray and laboratory services seven days a week. The system has also introduced the SPRINT peripheral nerve stimulation system for minimally invasive chronic pain management, and local orthopedic surgeons are using mixed-reality systems for 3D intraoperative surgical visualization.
Black River Memorial Hospital (Black River Falls, Wis.). Black River Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving a large primary service area of more than 15,000 people. The hospital offers a broad spectrum of services including emergency care, medical-surgical inpatient care, obstetrics, infusion therapy, pain management, imaging, laboratory and wound care, and is one of few critical access hospitals that maintains an active labor and delivery department, delivering more than 100 babies annually. As a level 4 trauma center, the hospital provides 24/7 laboratory and imaging support, and through a partnership with Madison, Wis.-based UW Health, operates a two-bed electronic ICU that allows specialists to remotely monitor patients, keeping them close to family. In 2025, the hospital earned a Chartis Center for Rural Health “Performance Leadership Award” for excellence in quality and outcomes and was recognized as both a 2025 “Top Workplace in Healthcare” and a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance Index. In December 2024, the hospital joined with Krohn Clinic to form Black River Health, and in January 2026 completed a renovation that added a new inpatient pharmacy, patient waiting area and a meditation room with a live moss wall. Black River Health also launched a community pharmacy in October 2025.
Blue Ridge (Ga.) Medical Center. Blue Ridge Medical Center is a five-bed critical access hospital, the only hospital serving Fannin County and surrounding rural communities in the North Georgia mountains. The hospital provides emergency services, inpatient and swing-bed care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, physical therapy, and primary and specialty outpatient clinics. The hospital raised $2,246,000 through the “Georgia HEART Hospital Program,” directing those funds toward preserving essential services, investing in infrastructure and technology, and sustaining staffing and access to care for medically underserved populations. The hospital earned the 2025 “Improving Health Care Access Award” and “National Quality Leader in Heart Health” recognitions from the Health Center Program. Recent developments include the appointment of new executive leadership with a focus on operational excellence and community trust, the addition of a new general surgeon, and the launch of a new walk-in clinic providing same-day care for non-emergent needs. These investments position the hospital to better serve a geographically isolated and aging population while reducing the need for residents to travel to distant health systems.
CHI Mercy Health Valley City (Valley City, N.D.). CHI Mercy Health Valley City serves as a regional community hospital providing essential services including emergency care, general surgery, family medicine, rehabilitation and outpatient therapy to the surrounding rural population. The hospital also offers medical-surgical and intensive care services, ensuring comprehensive inpatient care for patients across a range of health needs. As part of the CHI Health system, the hospital prioritizes community wellness and accessible healthcare, with a patient-focused approach that emphasizes compassionate care and improved health outcomes. The facility maintains a collaborative environment for healthcare professionals that encourages ongoing education and skill development. Recent updates and renovations have enhanced the patient experience, reinforcing the hospital’s commitment to providing modern amenities in a tranquil rural setting conducive to recovery.
CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington (N.D.). CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington is a 25-bed critical access hospital and level 5 trauma center that has served central North Dakota since 1916, operating two nearby rural health clinics to extend primary and preventive care access across the region. The hospital has been named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” in 11 separate years, dating back to 2012, and a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” seven times, most recently in 2026. Services span primary care and family medicine, behavioral health, pain management, wound care, radiology including mammography, physical therapy, diabetes education and management, emergency services, sleep medicine, ENT and general surgery. The hospital also operates an addiction and recovery clinic, addressing a critical behavioral health need in rural North Dakota. A focused patient safety initiative targeting unnecessary urinary catheter use, combining frequent audits, staff education and provider feedback, achieved a 10% reduction in catheter days, illustrating the hospital’s data-driven approach to quality improvement.
Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital (Lexington, Va.). Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital has built a reputation for providing top-tier care to its communities, resulting in a growth in services and in patient volumes. The hospital provides cardiology, urology, orthopedics, surgery, telecritical care and teleneurology services. The hospital has been steadily improving quality outcomes, including reductions in overall mortality and in sepsis mortality. The hospital has upgraded the operating room suite to better meet community needs and launched a multidisciplinary mortality reduction program to improve mortality and embrace a zero harm culture.
Carson Valley Health (Gardnerville, Nev.). Carson Valley Health is a nonprofit 25-bed critical access hospital serving the Carson Valley and surrounding areas of Northern Nevada. In 2025, the hospital made history as the first critical access hospital in Nevada to earn a level 4 trauma center designation, a milestone that also made Nevada the first state west of the Mississippi to have a level 4 trauma center. The hospital employs more than 650 people and maintains a medical staff of more than 100, making it one of the area’s largest employers, and in 2025 its employees contributed 2,200 hours in community service. With a three-year expansion project completed in 2024, Carson Valley Health added 52,000 square feet of new space, including an expanded emergency department with a decontamination bay and a behavioral health room, additional operating rooms, an 8,500-square-foot rehabilitation and outpatient therapy center, and all-private inpatient and ICU rooms. The expansion also introduced a cardiac catheterization lab and new specialties including cardiology, urology, rheumatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. As part of a capital improvement plan, the hospital invested in new digital X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy and interventional radiology equipment, and acquired a da Vinci robotic assisted surgery system. Carson Valley Health also launched a partnership with Siemens Healthineers to deploy a new laboratory testing technology configuration that, as the first such installation in the nation, has significantly enhanced diagnostic capabilities and reduced turnaround times.
Cass Health (Atlantic, Iowa). Cass Health is a critical access hospital system that has served southwest Iowa for 50 years, bringing together medical providers, clinics and a critical access hospital into one unified, well-coordinated local system. The organization offers a broad range of services including primary care, orthopedics, surgery, physical therapy, obstetric care and 24/7 emergency services, ensuring residents of southwest Iowa can access high-quality care without traveling far from home. Recently expanded services include a retail pharmacy, rapid care, clinic services for family medicine and specialists, and the Tyler Family Cancer Center. The Cass Health Foundation supports the system’s mission through an annual fundraising campaign, a spring gala and an August golf benefit, along with planned giving and capital campaigns that have helped the community retain services such as an orthopedic surgery center, physical therapy clinic and OB-GYN clinic. Guided by its “Neighbors Caring for Neighbors” philosophy, Cass Health combines the compassion and convenience of small community healthcare with modern expertise and cutting-edge technology and equipment. The organization also supports community engagement through volunteer opportunities, public health programming and scholarships.
Cobleskill (N.Y.) Regional Hospital. Cobleskill Regional Hospital is a nonprofit critical access hospital, serving as the sole provider of acute inpatient medical care, emergency care, short-stay inpatient rehabilitation, and a broad array of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the region. The hospital offers more than 20 outpatient specialty services including cancer care, heart care, neurology, orthopedics, OB-GYN and women’s health, interventional pain management, urology, ENT and a sleep disorders center, ensuring residents can access comprehensive care without leaving their community. The emergency department is staffed 24/7 by physicians and nurses providing rapid assessment and expert treatment. In 2026, Cobleskill Regional Hospital was named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, making it the only critical access hospital in New York state to earn the distinction this year. The National Rural Health Association then recognized the hospital as one of its “Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals.” As a subsidiary of the Cooperstown, N.Y.-based Bassett Healthcare Network, the hospital combines the resources of a larger health system with the accessibility and personal attention of a community hospital.
Coffey County Hospital (Burlington, Kan.). Coffey County Hospital boasts 25 beds and was established in 1954. The rural hospital is focused on expanding care access for patients and forging partnerships with educational institutions to train future providers. In recent years, the hospital has designed and implemented a new MRI suite, bringing additional prostate and breast services to patients. As a result, the hospital has seen an increase in referrals from urban providers. The hospital is also training its clinicians in dementia diagnosis and treatment, with a program in partnership with the Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System that kicked off in October 2023. In addition to its traditional responsibilities as a critical access hospital, Coffey County is the designated emergency medical partner for the state’s only nuclear generating station.
Community HealthCare System (Onaga, Kan.). Community HealthCare System is a 16-bed critical access hospital and level 4 trauma center with 480 associates, serving four counties through its main hospital, six family practice clinics, outpatient specialty clinics, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living facility and a home health agency. The organization provides 24/7 obstetrical care including cesarean delivery coverage, an increasingly rare service in rural Kansas, and in 2024 was named a “Kansas Gold Medal Winner for Newborn Screening” by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and earned “Gold Level” status through the Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s fourth trimester Initiative, an honor achieved by only 22 hospitals statewide. In 2025, Community HealthCare System earned multiple American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines” awards across rural heart failure, coronary artery disease, ST-elevation myocardial infarction and stroke categories. The organization has maintained SHARPS certification for over two decades, a national recognition for workplace safety and employee wellbeing. The behavioral health team, comprising a full-time psychiatrist, two full-time counselors and a mental health nurse practitioner, has trained more than 200 adults in adult and youth mental health first aid since 2019 and reached 255 students in four rural school districts through teen mental health first aid since 2023. Surgical services expanded to include orthopedic procedures in 2022, with volume growing from nine cases that year to 79 cases in 2025 while maintaining a strong safety record.
Cox Barton County Hospital (Lamar, Mo.). The 25-bed Cox Barton County Hospital opened in its current 64,000-square-foot facility in 2007 and joined the Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth system in 2018. The critical access hospital offers primary care, emergency and walk-in care, and specialized services across cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, pulmonology, rheumatology, surgery, women’s health and more. The hospital has earned national distinction as one of the “Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals” in the nation for overall performance by the National Rural Health Association in 2026. Cox Barton County Hospital holds level 3 stroke center designation, which is the highest achievable level for a 25-bed critical access hospital, and has received multiple American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines” achievement awards for its commitment to evidence-based cardiovascular and stroke care. The hospital also received two Press Ganey Human Experience Awards for outstanding performance in ambulatory surgery services, including both the “Pinnacle of Excellence Award” and the “Guardian of Excellence Award”. Diagnostic capabilities include a 64-slice CT scanner and 3D mammography with bone density testing, bringing advanced imaging technology to rural southwest Missouri. As part of CoxHealth, the hospital supports the system’s priority of expanding healthcare access throughout the Ozarks, particularly for rural communities in the region.
Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (Crosby, Minn.). Cuyuna Regional Medical Center is an independent, community-owned nonprofit critical access hospital, founded in 1962 by Crosby-area miners, that performed more than 9,800 surgeries in 2024 alone and is the only hospital in Minnesota outside of Rochester-based Mayo Clinic offering endo-bariatric surgery. The hospital has earned national recognition including U.S. News & World Report‘s “high-performing hospital” rankings and Healthgrades’ “Outstanding Patient Experience Award” in 2023. As Minnesota’s first and only critical access hospital certified in four orthopedic programs by DNV Healthcare, including advanced foot and ankle, hip and knee replacement, and shoulder and spine surgery, the medical center has become a regional training destination for orthopedic surgeons from Minnesota and Wisconsin learning to integrate the VELYS robotic knee system, in which one of its surgeons serves as a Johnson & Johnson consultant. The Minnesota Hospital Association honored the hospital with a “Community Benefit Award” for addressing food insecurity. Cuyuna Regional Medical Center is expanding its medical-surgical capacity with six new patient rooms, upgrading its MRI system to improve image quality and reduce scan times, and opening a new clinic in Nisswa, Minn., to serve one of the region’s fastest-growing communities. The hospital has also earned the 2025 Chartis Center for Rural Health “Performance Leadership Award for Patient Perspective” and maintains a Commission on Cancer-accredited program.
Desert View Hospital (Pahrump, Nev.). In 2025, Desert View Hospital marked its 20th anniversary as a critical access hospital via community-focused events, open houses, and recognition of long-tenured staff and volunteers. The hospital has maintained zero hospital-acquired infections for more than four consecutive years, a sustained infection prevention record that reflects consistent staff adherence to safety protocols across all departments. Desert View Hospital operates the largest nurse apprentice program of its kind in Nevada, through which more than 30 nurse apprentices have been hired into full-time registered nurse positions over the years, making the program a key recruitment and retention tool for the rural facility. The hospital received the 2025 “Distinguished Hospital Award” from the Nevada Donor Network and the 2025 Corporate Stewardship Award from the Nye Communities Coalition in recognition of its community partnership and civic engagement. Recent innovations include expanded outpatient preventive services, updated emergency department triage and patient flow processes to reduce wait times, upgraded patient care areas, updated imaging equipment and expanded telehealth services.
Effingham Health System (Springfield, Ga.). Effingham Health System is an independent 25-bed critical access hospital that annually treats more than 23,000 patients in its emergency department, as well as more than 25,000 patients across its primary and specialty care clinics. The hospital also performs more than 2,400 surgical procedures, operating with a staff of over 500 team members. The health system includes three rural health clinics, specialty clinics covering pediatrics, cardiology, occupational medicine and women’s health, two primary care clinics and a 105-bed skilled nursing facility, which earned a 2025 CMS 5-star rating and was named to Newsweek‘s “America’s Best Nursing Homes” list for 2026. Effingham Health System is the first critical access hospital in Georgia to implement a da Vinci robotic surgical system, having performed more than 1,500 robotic procedures since August 2018, and recently introduced the Oracle Health clinical AI agent, which has assisted providers in completing more than 5,000 patient notes since implementation in July 2025. The hospital’s pediatric center, opened in 2023, has averaged more than 700 patients per month. Meanwhile, the school-based telemedicine program, launched in 2017, has expanded to all elementary, middle and high schools in Effingham County and has reduced student and teacher absenteeism. A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for a new 33-acre medical campus on the southern end of Effingham County, positioned to expand healthcare access in an area of major population growth.
Elizabethtown (N.Y.) Community Hospital. Elizabethtown Community Hospital is a critical access hospital with two locations and six community-based primary care health centers. The hospital serves as the central source of healthcare delivery for local residents and visitors to the Adirondack Park wilderness. The hospital offers two 24-hour physician-staffed emergency departments, a 25-bed inpatient unit, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, radiology, laboratory, chemotherapy, infusion, cardiology, gynecology, gastroenterology, oncology, orthopedics, women’s health and pulmonary specialty care. Elizabethtown Community Hospital and its network partner hospital, Malone, N.Y.-based Alice Hyde Medical Center, are the only two federally-designated critical access hospitals north of Albany and east of Lake Ontario. The hospital is a healthcare partner of Burlington-based The University of Vermont Health Network, a nonprofit rural academic health system that serves nearly one million people.
Essentia Health–Moose Lake (Minn.). Essentia Health-Moose Lake brings expert care close to patients’ homes through specialty services including cardiology, dermatology, general surgery, gastroenterology, medical and surgical orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, podiatry, rheumatology, sleep medicine, urology and pain management. In 2021, the 25-bed hospital invested $2.5 million into renovations of the clinic and urgent care, creating a new patient entry, 14 exam rooms, two procedure rooms and two telehealth rooms. The hospital also began using the da Vinci Xi surgical system to provide minimally invasive, robot-assisted surgical care. The hospital, located in a region known for recreational opportunities, staffs board-certified emergency medicine physicians who are prepared to provide lifesaving care when accidents happen. The team also operates the Essentia Health-Moose Lake Fitness Center and Essentia Health-Moose Lake Foundation in support of the community.
Fairview Hospital (Great Barrington, Mass.). Fairview Hospital has earned a place on The Chartis Center for Rural Health’s “Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals” list for 14 consecutive years, most recently in 2026. The hospital has received the Healthgrades “Outstanding Patient Experience Award” every year from 2023-2025, as well as the 2024 Women’s Choice Award as one of “America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience.” The Joint Commission has designated the hospital as acute stroke ready, and the American Heart Association recognized the hospital with five “Get With the Guidelines” awards in 2025 across rural coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke categories. As a baby-friendly hospital under the “Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative,” the hospital follows internationally recognized best practices for maternity care, breastfeeding support and early bonding. The hospital engages the community through its free “Destination Better Health 2025” seminar series, covering topics including blood pressure management, atrial fibrillation, arthritis and postpartum adjustment. Fairview recently announced a campus revitalization plan that includes a new 44,000-square-foot outpatient building with expanded surgical and imaging suites, a new MRI and a larger emergency department, with completion targeted for the end of 2028, supported by a $1 million leadership donation from The Donald C. McGraw Foundation.
Floyd County Medical Center (Charles City, Iowa). Floyd County Medical Center is completing its largest expansion since the hospital’s opening in 1965, a $40 million project that broke ground in 2024 and is slated for completion in spring 2026. The critical access hospital’s expansion centers on a new three-story clinic housing a rural health family practice clinic with obstetrics and urgent care, as well as a new outpatient specialist clinic and hospital pharmacy. In both 2024 and 2025, the hospital earned the PRC “Excellence in Healthcare Award” and achieved 5-star hospital status for inpatient services, placing it in the top 10% nationally for its overall hospital rating. The hospital has introduced Inspire Therapy for obstructive sleep apnea and expanded its orthopedics and sports medicine program to full-time availability, while modernizing its emergency department with Stryker Prime X stretchers featuring built-in scales and Clearview X-ray technology. A new EHR platform is streamlining workflows for providers and staff while improving patient outcomes.
Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital (Glasgow, Mont.). Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital is a 25-bed voluntary nonprofit critical access hospital that has served rural Northeast Montana since 1911, treating approximately 30,000 patients annually across four counties. The hospital is supported by the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Foundation, an independent nonprofit established in 1982 that has provided more than $2.5 million to Valley County for medical needs, funding the latest technology, medical equipment and training as well as scholarships for local students studying in healthcare fields. Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital maintains Joint Commission accreditation, and in 2024 received KLAS Arch Collaborative “EHR Breakthrough Recognition” for its work improving clinician engagement with its EHR system. The hospital leveraged MedPower for structured onboarding training and introduced a “Facts and Snacks” initiative, which comprises monthly two-hour in-person sessions aimed at improving clinician EHR proficiency. Between 2022 and 2024 surveys, the percentage of clinicians who agreed that ongoing training was sufficient rose from 55% to 82%, placing the hospital in the 97th percentile among all Arch Collaborative members, while agreement that training was workflow-specific rose from 79% to 87%, placing it in the 100th percentile. This sustained investment in EHR education reflects the hospital’s commitment to reducing clinician friction and delivering safe, high-quality care in a resource-constrained rural environment.
Geisinger Jersey Shore (Pa.) Hospital. The 25-bed Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital is part of Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health. The facility offers an array of acute care and outpatient services, including numerous specialists, clinics, inpatient surgery, rehabilitation and diagnostic imaging services. The hospital is a designated advanced primary stroke center as well as a level 4 trauma center. Hospital leadership and staff have a deep passion for community engagement and outreach. The hospital has been a key partner in the development of a regional mobile food pantry addressing food insecurity needs. Additional community initiatives include a focus on agricultural safety, trauma education, preventative health screenings, and overall access to healthcare.
Glacial Ridge Hospital (Glenwood, Minn.). Glacial Ridge Health System is a fully independent, community-governed critical access hospital that earned 5-star CMS ratings in 2025 for patient recommendation, staff responsiveness, patient experience, quietness and cleanliness. Despite operating in a rural market where workforce shortages challenge many hospitals, Glacial Ridge maintains a staff vacancy rate of just 1.7%, which is significantly below the 13% average reported across Minnesota hospitals. This enables it to offer advanced services such as a physician-led medical weight loss program and resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography technology in the emergency department. The hospital was recognized in 2025 by the Star Tribune as the eighth of 47 midsize companies in the “Top Workplaces for Minnesota” list. In 2025, the 22-bed hospital was redesignated as a level 4 trauma hospital, continuing its participation in Minnesota’s coordinated trauma network since its first designation in 2008. Over the past three years, the hospital has integrated community health needs assessment findings into clinical care, expanding food insecurity screening, adding dermatology, midwifery and family medicine providers, and establishing a behavioral health service staffed by three therapists and a senior life solutions mental health program. The hospital’s environmental services department received the Minnesota Hospital Association “Department of the Year Award” in 2025.
Hampshire Memorial Hospital (Romney, W.Va.). Hampshire Memorial Hospital is a critical access hospital with 14 acute and transitional care beds and 30 long-term care beds, part of Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health’s four-hospital critical access network. The hospital is a two-time “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” honoree according to the National Rural Health Association. The hospital has earned a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” designation from Chartis in 2025, as well as a CMS 4-star rating for its long-term care unit. Hampshire Memorial Hospital takes part in Valley Health’s “Project Engage” initiative, funded by a West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy grant, which deploys trained peer recovery support specialists in the hospital to connect patients with substance use disorder to treatment programs, counseling, detoxification services and free naloxone kits. Valley Health’s four critical access hospitals collectively treated 54,512 emergency department patients and recorded 373,247 outpatient laboratory tests in 2025, with outpatient satisfaction ranking in the 94th percentile nationwide.
Hanover (Kan.) Hospital and Warren Clinic. Hanover Hospital and Warren Clinic form the core of healthcare services for locals, with Hanover Hospital operating as an 18-bed critical access hospital providing emergency services, inpatient care and diagnostic testing, and the co-located Warren Clinic serving as the outpatient arm for primary care, preventive services and chronic disease management. The combined model enables patients to access both everyday medical treatment and hospital-level services without traveling to larger cities, a particularly vital function in rural northern Kansas. In August 2024, the organizations welcomed a new family medicine physician and medical director, bringing community-focused expertise and experience providing emergency coverage through the Kansas Rural Recruitment and Retention Center. The organizations recognize long-serving physicians through a “Living Legacy” recognition honoring their contributions to healthcare in the community, and honor exceptional staff service through events including “National Hospital Week.”
Hedrick Medical Center (Chillicothe, Mo.). Hedrick Medical Center is a city-owned, nonprofit critical access hospital that delivers comprehensive healthcare to its communities. The medical center holds Joint Commission accreditation and a 2019 Press Ganey “Guardian of Excellence Award” for reaching the 95th percentile for clinical quality. The 25-bed hospital’s 24-hour emergency department is staffed by board-certified physicians and supported by inpatient and outpatient diagnostic testing, an intensive care unit featuring eICU technology, and inpatient and outpatient surgery and rehabilitation services. A women’s center specializing in prenatal and postpartum care offers 3D mammography, and primary care offices adjoin the facility for convenient access to routine and preventive services. The hospital’s specialty offerings span cardiology, cancer care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, wound care and more, ensuring that residents of north-central Missouri can access a broad range of services without leaving their community. Hedrick Medical Center also provides home care, hospice care, infusion therapies and a skilled nursing swing-bed program, supporting patients across the full continuum of care.
Henry County Hospital (Napoleon, Ohio). Henry County Hospital is a nonprofit 25-bed critical access hospital that has served the region since 1919, earning recognition in recent years for physician satisfaction with its EHR system. In a 2024 KLAS Arch Collaborative report, the hospital’s EHR physician satisfaction scores ranked in the 100th percentile compared to peer customers using the same EHR, the 100th percentile among similar organizations and the 95th percentile overall. The hospital’s CEO presented these findings at KLAS Arch Collaborative’s learning summit. The hospital has received Professional Research Consultants 5-star ratings for inpatient services in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems overall rating, nurse communication, pain management and medication communication. Henry County Hospital is a founding member of the Ohio High Value Network, launched in 2025 with 26 other independent hospitals caring for a combined population of more than 2.5 million patients across 37 of Ohio’s 88 counties, enabling independent rural hospitals to collaborate on clinical and operational initiatives without sacrificing local governance. The hospital has also received the Ohio Department of Health “Healthy Worksite Award Gold” and the American Heart Association’s “Fit Friendly Award Gold.”
Higgins General Hospital (Bremen, Ga.). Part of Carrollton, Ga.-based Tanner Health System, 25-bed Higgins General Hospital serves communities in multiple rural counties in Georgia. It is a critical access hospital that is accredited as an acute stroke-ready hospital. The hospital features an expanded outpatient surgical services unit, a comprehensive inpatient rehab program, numerous specialties and more. Press Ganey awarded the hospital with its “Human Experience Pinnacle of Excellence Award” in 2022-23.
Howard County Medical Center (St. Paul, Neb.). Howard County Medical Center is a 10-bed critical access hospital serving roughly 5,000 residents across a six-county rural area in Nebraska. The hospital has been regularly named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, most recently in 2025. The hospital addresses a major barrier to rural healthcare access by employing dedicated financial navigators who assist patients with copay assistance, drug rebates, gas cards, transportation and food donations, an approach that reduced self-pay bad debt by 42% in just two years while keeping accounts receivable days well below the rural hospital average. The specialty clinic has grown from 12 to 23 providers, and the hospital secured American Rescue Plan Act funding to add mental and behavioral health professionals to its staff. In May 2024, the hospital opened an $8 million, 17,000-square-foot wellness center funded through a public-private partnership and community fundraising, featuring a full-size lap pool, a warm-water therapy pool, an indoor walking track and expanded physical, occupational and speech therapy spaces. The wellness center signifies a shift from treating illness to proactively promoting community wellness. The hospital earned the “Platinum Recognition” in the 2025 Health Resources and Services Administration “DoNation Campaign.”
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital (Oconto Falls, Wis.). HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital that was first founded in 1921 and joined Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System in 2014. Since then, the hospital has expanded inpatient, outpatient and transitional care services on its campus. The hospital operates the only advanced wound care center with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber north of Green Bay and south of Iron Mountain, providing a highly specialized service not otherwise available in the region. In 2025, HSHS St. Clare Memorial received the American Heart Association’s “Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Gold” award and its “STEMI Referring Center Bronze Plus” recognition for its commitment to rapid, research-based care for patients experiencing ST elevation myocardial infarction. The hospital was named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by Chartis in 2022 and received a Chartis “Performance Leadership Award” in 2023 for excellence in quality, outcomes and patient experience, along with a 2023 Press Ganey Human Experience “Guardian of Excellence” award for physician alignment. In spring 2025, HSHS St. Clare Memorial and Green Bay, Wis.-based Prevea Health established a robust team of orthopedic care specialists, including fellowship-trained surgeons offering orthopedics, foot and ankle care, pain and spine care, physical and occupational therapy and hip, knee, hand and sports medicine specialty services. The hospital also partners with Prevea Health to operate outpatient clinics across five surrounding communities.
HSHS St. Francis Hospital (Litchfield, Ill.). HSHS St. Francis Hospital is a 25-bed hospital, founded in 1875 by three Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. The hospital celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2025, making it one of the most historically rooted rural hospitals in the Midwest. The hospital is the only facility providing maternity services in a two-county area with a combined population of approximately 70,000, and in 2025 earned The Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care,” making it one of a handful of hospitals in Illinois to achieve this distinction. The hospital was recognized by the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network as a 2024 “Neighbors Helping Neighbors Award” recipient for outstanding overall performance in quality, operational and financial metrics. HSHS St. Francis also received CMS 5-star recognition in both cleanliness and nurse communication in 2025. In fall 2025, the hospital completed an expansion of its cancer care center, doubling the number of treatment bays for infusion services in a project that was funded entirely by private donations to the HSHS St. Francis Foundation. The hospital also acquired advanced pulmonary function testing equipment in 2025, enabling local methacholine challenge testing for asthma and other respiratory conditions. In addition, the hospital joined a network of Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab programs to offer comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation with dietitian support and stress reduction counseling.
Huggins Hospital (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Huggins Hospital maintains its independence as a 25-bed critical access hospital by strategically growing service lines and preserving financial strength. Its efforts benefit a year-round population of 30,000 residents and more than 120,000 seasonal residents and visitors annually. The hospital has expanded access to primary care and orthopedics and introduced new services including cancer care to ensure patients can receive comprehensive treatment close to home. In 2025, Huggins Hospital opened a cancer care and infusion center, enabling patients to receive chemotherapy and hematology treatments locally rather than traveling long distances, a step that reduces financial burden, missed appointments and caregiver stress. The hospital is also preparing to open a new ambient experience MRI in early 2026, which creates a calming environment through visuals, sounds and lighting while extending MRI service availability. A successful implementation of the MEDITECH Expanse EHR established a single platform for the hospital and introduced a unified patient portal across all of Huggins Hospital’s services. In 2025, the hospital received the “Best Small Hospital” award from the NH Business Review, recognizing its dedication to exceptional community care.
Jamestown (N.D.) Regional Medical Center. Jamestown Regional Medical Center, an independent critical access hospital with 25 beds, moved to a new campus in July 2011 and has added various specialty services since. Additions include ENT, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, podiatry, urology, a wound care and hyperbaric center, a vein treatment program, and a pain management clinic utilizing specialized, non-opioid care. Jamestown Regional Medical Center was certified in 2026 as a “Pathway to Excellence” organization, making it the first in the state of North Dakota to earn the distinction. The hospital also increased its number of emergency medicine providers, who see over 10,000 emergency room visits a year. The hospital has partnered to open an oncology clinic and in 2024 it initiated the development of a women’s health walk-in clinic and lactation counseling. Jamestown Regional was the first in the state to have 3D mammography and hyperbaric chamber therapy, among other innovations. The National Rural Health Association named the hospital a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” overall winner multiple times, most recently in 2025.
Jefferson Community Health & Life (Fairbury, Neb.). Jefferson Community Health & Life operates a 17-bed critical access hospital, offering inpatient and outpatient services including surgery, therapy, screenings and emergency care to the surrounding rural community. Beyond the hospital, the organization provides a comprehensive suite of health and life services, including family medicine, long-term care, home health services, and numerous educational programs and community support groups. The Jefferson Community Health & Life Burkley Fitness Center, open to the public since 1996 on a membership or daily fee basis, offers a full range of fitness facilities and classes, reflecting the organization’s commitment to proactive community wellness beyond acute care. Jefferson Community Health & Life was recognized by Top Workplaces as a “Great Plains Top Workplace” for 2026 and earned a “Culture Award for Employee Well-Being” in 2025. The organization’s integrated model positions it as a comprehensive health and life resource that ensures residents can access coordinated care close to home at every stage of life.
Kingman (Kan.) Healthcare Center. Community-based Kingman Healthcare Center was named a 2026 “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by The Chartis Center for Rural Health and a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” by The National Rural Health Association. The organization rebranded from Kingman Community Hospital in April 2021 to reflect a deliberate shift toward whole health and preventive care, and has since modernized its family clinic and rehabilitation services to offer a comprehensive range of care closer to home. Services include 24/7 emergency care, family practice, radiology with advanced imaging including MRI and CT, sports medicine, wound care, and a swing-bed program offering skilled nursing, rehabilitation, wound care and IV antibiotics within the hospital setting. Two family clinic locations and a satellite office extend access across a broad service area of surrounding communities. The hospital’s patient and family advisory council, established in 2019, brings together past and present patients, family members, staff and board members to continuously improve the patient experience, with a focus on quality of care, safety and patient satisfaction.
Klickitat Valley Health (Goldendale, Wash.). Klickitat Valley Health has invested heavily in infrastructure modernization, technology and service expansion to meet the evolving needs of its population. In a standout operational achievement, the 25-bed hospital consolidated five EHR systems onto a single unified platform and built a new data center in just seven months, improving efficiency, patient and clinician satisfaction, billing accuracy and cybersecurity resilience. Klickitat Valley Health was recognized in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Regional Hospitals” rankings, and its hospice program earned both the gold designation in the 2025 “Best of the Gorge Awards” and the 2025 CAHPS “Hospice Honors Elite Award” for compassionate, patient-centered end-of-life care. The organization was one of only eight hospitals nationwide, and the only one from the Western U.S., to join the inaugural cohort of the federal “Rural Hospital Stabilization Program,” which is designed to strengthen financial stability and healthcare services in rural communities. A fully grant-funded ground source heat pump system project is projected to reduce the hospital’s natural gas use by approximately 93% while lowering long-term maintenance costs. The hospital has also deployed AI-driven automation for denials management, eligibility checks and remittance posting, achieving a 400% return on investment and recovering more than $1 million annually.
Lady of the Sea General Hospital (Cut Off, La.). Lady of the Sea General Hospital is an acute-care critical access hospital providing a variety of inpatient and outpatient services to southeastern Louisiana, with a mission to deliver high-quality healthcare in a personalized manner. The hospital also operates two community pharmacy locations, including one with a drive-thru window, offering 340-B discount pricing and a prescription savings program at both sites, with convenient refill options by phone or online to improve medication access and affordability for the community. Lady of the Sea General Hospital’s integrated model, spanning acute inpatient care, home health, medical clinics and community pharmacy, positions it as a comprehensive healthcare resource for the rural communities it serves. The hospital has earned recognition across multiple service lines, with both its home health agency and and its medical clinics receiving Press Ganey “Guardian of Excellence Awards” for patient experience.
Madelia (Minn.) Health. Madelia Health, founded in 1918 and designated a critical access hospital in 2001, has been named one of the “Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S. for Patient Perspective” by the National Rural Health Association. It is the only Minnesota critical access hospital recognized in that category, based on HCAHPS performance data compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The hospital offers 24/7 emergency care, full laboratory, radiology including mobile MRI, CT, ultrasound and 3D mammography, physical therapy, surgical care, wound care and outpatient clinics across multiple locations. In 2024, Madelia Health opened a dedicated behavioral health department providing evaluations, therapy, medication management and early-childhood support, a service identified as a top-three priority in its Community Health Needs Assessment. The hospital received the Minnesota Hospital Association “Exceptional Minnesota Hospital Workplace” award and was named a Star Tribune “Top Workplace” in both 2024 and 2025 based on employee survey data. The hospital also received a $50,000 Minnesota Department of Health workplace safety grant in fiscal year 2025. The hospital recently expanded its geographic reach with a new primary care clinic in New Ulm, Minn., and in January 2026 assumed emergency medical services for the city of Lake Crystal, Minn., broadening its regional footprint. Madelia Health also engaged Wold Architects & Engineers to develop a 10-year master facility plan to guide growth and service expansion for the region.
Margaretville (N.Y.) Hospital. Margaretville Hospital is a 15-bed critical access hospital that provides compassionate medical services to medically underserved communities across the Catskill Mountains, having joined Valhalla, N.Y.-based WMCHealth through HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley in 2016. The hospital offers emergency care, ambulatory care, laboratory testing, medical imaging, physical and occupational therapy, swing-bed rehabilitation, respite care and a range of board-certified specialized services, ensuring residents can access high-quality care and diagnostic testing close to home. Through its active relationship with HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, N.Y., also a WMCHealth member, Margaretville Hospital provides patient-centered medical services with the backing of a larger regional health system. The hospital also supports the area’s aging population through Mountainside Residential Care Center, an award-winning 82-bed enhanced care facility, offering a full spectrum of retirement living and long-term care services for seniors.
Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (Oak Bluffs, Mass.). Founded in 1921, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is a critical access, nonprofit, community hospital. It is located seven miles out to sea and is only accessible by boat or air. A member of Boston-based Mass General Brigham system, the hospital provides extensive acute, ambulatory and specialty services onsite and through its system affiliation. It has added more than 38 new clinical specialties to meet increasing demand, saving patients difficult off-island travel. A $38 million campaign to address the critical need for workforce housing has resulted in a 48-unit residential site that opened in 2025. The hospital also supports the island’s only skilled nursing facility.
Mayo Clinic Health System–Waseca (Minn.). Mayo Clinic Health System–Waseca is a community-based critical access hospital that has been recognized as a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” by The National Rural Health Association. The hospital brings the resources and expertise of the broader Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic to the surrounding communities through family medicine, specialty clinic services and 24/7 emergency care. As part of a system of 60 sites across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, the local medical center provides both routine and specialized care services alongside on- and off-site wellness support and community engagement. A dedicated team of physicians, advanced practice providers, visiting specialists and allied health staff delivers care ranging from prenatal services and well-child visits to geriatrics, diagnostics, immunizations, screenings and referrals to specialty care. The hospital is one of the largest employers in Waseca and continues to advance local medical capabilities to keep patients healthier and closer to home. As a nonprofit organization, the system collaborates with community stakeholders to assess and address local health needs, deploying volunteers at community events, providing medical experts for educational presentations and connecting residents with resources addressing social determinants of health. These efforts are guided by priorities identified through regular Community Health Needs Assessments.
Mee Memorial Healthcare System (King City, Calif.). Mee Memorial features 25 acute care beds, as well as 48 skilled nursing beds. The organization’s mission is to provide high-quality care to its rural patient population. In pursuit of this goal, the hospital has been enhancing its service offerings through the renovation of its emergency and diagnostic imaging departments, and through the addition of a pediatric health and wellness center. The organization is also focused on community outreach, engaging the broader community with diabetes education and initiatives because diabetes has been pinpointed as a significant community concern. Mee Memorial Healthcare System also participated in the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project, which aims to train rural hospitals for alternative payment and care delivery models.
Memorial Health Care Systems (Seward, Neb.). Memorial Health Care Systems is a community-based, nonprofit critical access hospital system, founded via community fundraising efforts in memory of World War I and II servicemen. Since opening in September 1950, the system has upheld its mission of enhancing quality of life through excellence in healthcare close to home. The system includes a 24-bed critical access hospital, three family practice clinics, 17 on-site specialty physician clinics, a retail pharmacy and assisted care living, providing a comprehensive continuum of care. Memorial Hospital offers acute and skilled inpatient care, surgical services, 24-hour emergency care, diagnostic services, women’s health and maternity care, skilled rehabilitative care and a walk-in urgent care clinic requiring no appointment. Clinic virtual visits further extend access for patients who face barriers to in-person care. Family physicians, physician assistants and visiting specialists ensure that patients can access both routine and specialized care without traveling far from home.
Monroe County Hospital (Forsyth, Ga.). Monroe County Hospital broke away from a large health system in 2023 and, partnering with Aletheia Health Partners, has since achieved record growth. The hospital has seen record emergency department volumes and a 40% increase in its swing bed program over 18 months. The critical access hospital has operated with positive profit margins for the first time in seven years, driven by strengthened community relations, expanded marketing efforts and improved staff morale. In addition, it has upgraded its radiology equipment, brought additional outpatient and specialty services to its campus and completed pediatric readiness training for its nursing staff. In January 2026, the hospital appointed a new CEO, a nurse who has spent her entire career at Monroe County Hospital and is deeply rooted in the Forsyth community. Monroe County Hospital was named 2025 “Hospital of the Year” by Hometown Health. The hospital is in the process of reopening its operating room and is actively exploring options for overall hospital renovations or a new facility, aiming to continue its expansion of care access for the surrounding community.
Mosaic Medical Center–Albany (Mo.). Mosaic Medical Center–Albany is a critical access hospital that offers both inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency care, primary care and a broad range of specialties serving the surrounding rural region. The hospital was named a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” by the National Rural Health Association in 2026, placing it among the highest-performing rural hospitals in the nation. Specialty services span cancer care, cardiology, dental, endocrinology, general surgery, neurology, orthopedics, pain management, podiatry, psychiatry, pulmonary and rheumatology, ensuring that patients can access comprehensive multispecialty care close to home. Inpatient services include acute care for urgent health needs, transitional and post-acute care for patients recovering from surgeries, illnesses or chronic conditions, and inpatient respite care through hospice for those at the end of life. The hospital’s physical rehabilitation program takes a multidisciplinary team approach, with individualized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s specific injury, disorder or illness. As part of St Joseph, Mo.-based Mosaic Life Care and a member of the Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Care Network, the medical center combines community-based accessibility with the clinical resources and expertise of two respected health systems, advancing its mission to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (Windsor, Vt.). Since its establishment in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center has rooted itself in its rural communities and developed a reputation for patient-centered care. The hospital has instituted key administrative roles and programs like director of quality and safety, director of community health, and a hospitalist program. In 2023, walk-in services were expanded from half-day hours to full-day hours for the work week and six advanced practice providers were recruited, as well as a general surgeon. Thanks to the hospital’s affiliation with Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health, Dartmouth Health Ophthalmology provides surgical services at the hospital as well. Mt. Ascutney Hospital was named a “Best-In-State Hospital” by Newsweek for 2024.
Newman Regional Health (Emporia, Kan.). Newman Regional Health is a 25-bed, locally owned and governed critical access hospital, as well as a nationally recognized level 4 trauma center that in 2023 became the first critical access hospital in the U.S. to receive accreditation for its cardiac catheterization lab from the American College of Cardiology. The hospital serves residents across seven counties, provided more than $8 million in charitable care in 2025 and has made significant investments in cardiovascular technology, including a $1 million high-speed CT scanner installed in September 2025 that enables cardiac scoring and CT brain perfusion for stroke evaluation. New “all-in-one” imaging arms installed in the cardiovascular lab in September 2025 allow cardiologists to assess blockages and confirm stent placement with precision, and in January 2026 the hospital was reaccredited for percutaneous coronary intervention from the American College of Cardiology. Newman Regional Health also secured a $485,000 grant for the Telehealth for Rural Health Equity initiative to expand and modernize telemedicine capabilities across inpatient, outpatient and emergency settings. Social determinants of health screening gets embedded directly into the EHR so clinicians can address patient needs at the point of care through referrals to community health workers and local agencies, and the hospital’s participation in the “Laundry Love” program provides low-income residents free laundry services. A strategic affiliation with Kansas City-based The University of Kansas Health System and Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health enables Newman Regional Health to expand local service lines while retaining independent governance.
North Adams (Mass.) Regional Hospital. North Adams Regional Hospital is an 18-bed critical access hospital that reopened in March 2024, exactly 10 years after its closure under previous ownership. Its comeback restored essential healthcare access to Northern Berkshire County. The reopening was made possible through the hospital’s reclassification as a critical access hospital under updated 2023 regulatory guidelines, and since then it has offered 24/7 emergency department coverage, 18 inpatient beds and swing units for rehabilitation-level care, which help rural residents avoid transfers to nursing home facilities. The hospital supports this care with physical and occupational therapy and holds a geriatric certification in the emergency department to facilitate mobility evaluations and referrals. Patients also have access to specialists from its parent system, Pittsfield, Mass.-based Berkshire Health Systems, filling a substantial gap for the rural population. The hospital’s impact on the regional economy and healthcare infrastructure earned it a 2025 “MassEcon Impact Award Gold,” recognizing its role in job creation and community revitalization. The Joint Commission has awarded the hospital its “Gold Seal of Approval” and designated it an “Acute Stroke Ready Hospital,” and the American Heart Association recognized it with four “Get With the Guidelines” awards in 2025 covering rural coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke categories.
Northern Cochise Community Hospital (Willcox, Ariz.). Northern Cochise Community Hospital is a 24-bed critical access hospital that is part of Tucson, Ariz.-based TMC Health system. The hospital’s 175-plus employees provide rural residents with 24/7 emergency services, inpatient and skilled nursing care, outpatient services and primary care clinics. The hospital has partnered with the Diaper Bank of Arizona to distribute more than 3,000 diapers monthly to local families, addressing a basic health and economic need in the community. Through a partnership with the Cochise Technology District’s “Patient Care Technician” program, the hospital offers rural high school students hands-on clinical training with a direct path to healthcare careers, and six program graduates now work at the hospital while one works at Benson (Ariz.) Hospital, which is also part of TMC Health. The hospital is also enhancing its facilities with upgrades to the emergency department entrance and physical therapy wing to improve accessibility and patient experience. The broader TMC Health system was named to Forbes‘ 2026 list of “America’s Best Large Employers.”
OSF HealthCare Saint Luke Medical Center (Kewanee, Ill.). The 25-bed Saint Luke Medical Center is part of Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare. The hospital offers an array of acute care and outpatient services, including various specialists, rehabilitation and diagnostic imaging services. The hospital also installed a community “Blessing Box” filled with non-perishable food and hygiene items for those in need, provided coping strategies workshops to students, and inaugurated an innovation hub for employees and community members to collaborate and brainstorm health care solutions. The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network acknowledged OSF Saint Luke with the 2022 “Quality of Care Outcomes and Top Performance” award.
OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group (Escanaba, Mich.). A 25-bed, Medicare-designated critical access hospital, OSF St. Francis has been providing quality health care to the south-central Upper Peninsula of Michigan since 1884. OSF St. Francis provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical care, in addition to providing access through primary care clinics in surrounding areas. These recognitions are based on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. OSF St. Francis has developed key partnerships to ensure advanced oncology and cardiology care and local access to advanced neonatal care. Additionally, it received certificate-of-need approval for a new cardiac catheterization lab. In fiscal year 2025, the 435 employees of OSF St. Francis served 31,476 individuals. The hospital had 17,934 emergency department visits, 109,374 outpatient visits and 1,723 admissions, demonstrating exceptional impact for a rural critical access hospital. OSF St. Francis has earned significant national recognition as a six-time recipient as a “Top Rural Hospital” by The Leapfrog Group, a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” by iVantage, a recipient of the Michigan Peer Review Organization “Governor’s Award of Excellence,” a 4-star National Rural Rating System designation twice, inclusion on Newsweek’s 2024 “America’s Best Hospitals” list and recognition on the inaugural Forbes 2026 “Top Hospital” list.
Ochsner St. Anne Hospital (Raceland, La.). Ochsner St. Anne Hospital, part of New Orleans-based Ochsner Health, staffs skilled physicians and specialists who provide life-saving care at the 24-hour full-service emergency department, stroke care unit, intensive care unit, and multiple surgical specialty services. Surgical specialty services include general surgery, orthopedics, pain management and urology. Additionally, the hospital offers maternity suites, behavioral health services and many advanced medical technologies like MRI, digital and 3D mammography, and low-dose computed tomography. The hospital also offers full lab services, an infusion center and a wound care clinic.
Page Memorial Hospital (Luray, Va.). Page Memorial Hospital is a 24-bed critical access hospital that is a central part of Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health’s four-hospital critical access network. The hospital earned a 2025 “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” designation from Chartis and, according to CMS star ratings, is one of the nation’s cleanest hospitals, most-likely-to-recommend hospitals and top hospitals for nurse communication. Community gardens at Page Memorial Hospital helped yield more than 7,000 pounds of produce grown last year in support of community food security. Looking ahead to the hospital’s centennial in 2028, the Page Memorial Hospital Foundation is helping to fund the Centennial Trail, a new outdoor walking path on the hospital campus offering a safe exercise option for caregivers, patients, families and the community. Valley Health’s four critical access hospitals collectively treated 54,512 emergency department patients in 2025, with inpatient satisfaction in the 79th percentile and emergency department satisfaction in the 84th percentile nationwide.
Parkview LaGrange (Ind.) Hospital. Parkview LaGrange Hospital, part of the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health system, is one of the state’s 35 critical access hospitals. The hospital includes an emergency department, operating room, inpatient care facilities, radiology, laboratory and many specialty medical services. It also offers outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology, as well as cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. In addition, its LifeBridge senior program offers outpatient behavioral health services for seniors, while its medical detox services provide voluntary and discreet medical care for community members ready to begin detox from alcohol and other substances. Parkview LaGrange also runs a transitional care and swing bed program.
Parkview Wabash Hospital (Wabash, Ind.). Parkview Wabash Hospital is an 18-bed critical access hospital located in a county with a population of approximately 30,000. The hospital joined Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health in 2015 and has since been a consistent top performer for quality, safety and outcomes among rural hospitals both within Indiana and nationally. The hospital is one of two within Parkview’s 15-hospital system to have a rural health clinic embedded within the facility, including mental health practitioners within its primary care offices. A standout orthopedics program, supported by a local orthopedic surgeon capable of performing joint replacements as same-day discharge procedures, offers a scope of care not typically available in small communities, and the hospital is actively building out pre- and post-operative orthopedic support. Parkview Wabash’s virtual care program allows patients to receive labs, testing and vitals locally while conferencing with off-site specialists, reducing travel times. The hospital is undergoing a four-bed expansion to increase swing-bed capacity, renovating a leased medical office building to expand orthopedics and podiatry services and constructing a new physical therapy location expected to complete in May 2026. Parkview Wabash was recognized as an Indiana Chamber of Commerce “Best Place to Work” in 2023 and 2025, earned the Chartis Center for Rural Health “Performance Leadership Award” for outcomes in 2025, and received CMS 5-star ratings for nurse communication and hospital quietness.
Pembina County Memorial Hospital (Cavalier, N.D.). Pembina County Memorial Hospital is a 20-bed critical access hospital and state-designated level 4 trauma center that has served the healthcare needs of the region since 1953, and stands as the largest employer in Pembina County. The hospital operates around the clock, with staff available 24/7 to provide care across all aspects of healthcare and every stage of life, guided by a family-centered approach to health service delivery. Beyond the hospital itself, the organization encompasses a rural health clinic extending primary care access to the region, a 40-bed skilled nursing home, and a 20-unit independent living apartment complex, creating a comprehensive continuum of care from routine health services through long-term and senior living support. This integrated model allows Pembina County Memorial Hospital to serve residents from primary and emergency care through rehabilitation, skilled nursing and independent living, all within the same community. The organization’s vision of a family-centered, integrated healthcare organization reflects more than six decades of commitment to meeting the evolving needs of residents.
Pender (Neb.) Community Hospital. 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.
Perry County Memorial Hospital (Tell City, Ind.). Perry County Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital that has provided essential healthcare to Perry County and surrounding communities since 1950, employing more than 315 people and serving as one of the county’s largest employers. The hospital operates an emergency department, surgery center and a full range of outpatient services, staffed by board-certified physicians, registered nurses and other specialists, complemented by six off-campus clinics that extend access across the region. Their specialty services span cardiology, oncology and infusion, nephrology, neurology, orthopedics, rheumatology, endocrinology, psychiatry and mental health, senior behavioral health, urology, podiatry, and a sleep disorders center and pulmonary care program. The hospital also operates a wound care center, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, bone health services, pain management, pediatrics and a swing-bed program for post-acute skilled nursing care. Home care services and Perry County emergency medical services further extend the organization’s reach into the community, supporting patients across the full continuum from emergency response through recovery and long-term disease management.
Porter Medical Center (Middlebury, Vt.). Founded in 1925, Porter Medical Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital and 98-bed long-term care facility with just over 700 employees. It provides care for over 32,000 local residents, and has been operating for more than 100 years. It also offers a network of primary care and specialty medical practices, inpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services, an infusion center and an express care facility. The medical center is a health care partner of Burlington-based The University of Vermont Health Network, a non-profit academic health system.
The Richland Hospital and Clinics (Richland Center, Wis.). The Richland Hospital and Clinics is an independent 25-bed critical access hospital and integrated multispecialty group practice that operates across three locations, providing primary and specialty care and most recently earning a CMS 5-star patient experience rating in 2024. The hospital’s transitional care management program reduces readmission rates by identifying high-risk patients before discharge, scheduling follow-up appointments and maintaining close contact afterward to support chronic care management and health literacy. A unified EHR enables clinicians across all care settings to view a patient’s complete history, improving safety and eliminating gaps in care transitions. Through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as part of the “Orion Initiative,” the hospital is addressing rural health disparities, including expanding access to rheumatology through the specialty training at rural sites-rheumatology program. The hospital also partners with Southwest Technical College on a “Need for Nursing” scholarship program and with Moraine Park Technical College to provide ultrasound students with hands-on clinical training, building a pipeline of future providers. In December 2024, the hospital opened a new on-site community pharmacy for immediate prescription filling, and in January 2025 began a multimillion-dollar facility renovation to meet 21st-century care standards.
Rio Grande Hospital (Del Norte, Colo.). Rio Grande Hospital is a critical access hospital with a broad range of services, including emergency care, surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, dermatology, pulmonary rehabilitation, wound care and a swing-bed program, ensuring residents can access comprehensive care without traveling far from home. The hospital was named a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” by the National Rural Health Association in 2026. A dedicated team of specialists delivers care across cardiology, ophthalmology, OB/GYN, surgery and ENT, while the hospital’s advanced wound care center pairs advanced wound management with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in coordination with patients’ primary physicians. Rio Grande Hospital’s wellness center, as well as its cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, reflect a commitment to preventive care and long-term health management beyond acute services. The hospital also offers telehealth services to extend access to specialty care for patients across the geographically expansive rural region.
Rooks County Health Center (Plainville, Kan.). Rooks County Health Center is a critical access hospital that opened in September 2008, following an overwhelming voter approval in 2006 to fund construction of a new facility. The health center serves an area of nearly 1,300 square miles and a population of more than 8,000 citizens across northwest Kansas. The hospital offers a wide range of services, including pain management, orthopedics and sports medicine, diagnostic imaging, skilled swing beds and a walk-in clinic called Doctors Without Delay, which requires no appointment or advance call. On-site resources include MRI and nuclear medicine, a broad laboratory menu for routine and stat testing, and physical, occupational and speech therapists, as well as a pharmacist and respiratory therapist. These resources ensure that patients have access to comprehensive ancillary services without leaving the community. The hospital’s swing-bed program has earned regional recognition for quality of care. The RCH Foundation supports the hospital’s long-term growth and capital needs through community philanthropy.
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (Solvang, Calif.). Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital is a 10-bed critical access hospital that has provided acute care services to residents and visitors since 1964. The hospital then became affiliated with Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Cottage Health in 1995. The hospital ranks in the top 10% for patient satisfaction on the West Coast, reflecting a sustained commitment to personal, comprehensive healthcare close to home. The 24/7 emergency department is staffed by highly trained personnel credentialed for critical care expertise, stabilization and rapid transport, while surgical services include a broad range of procedures performed by board-certified specialists across cataract, cosmetic, ENT, general surgery, orthopedics, podiatry, colonoscopy and endoscopy. Radiology capabilities include MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, 3D mammography and DEXA bone scanning. Meanwhile, the medical-surgical unit provides inpatient care with telemetry monitoring, physical and speech therapy and an outpatient infusion suite for medication infusions and transfusions. The hospital holds Joint Commission and Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services certification as a stroke ready facility, and offers a medically supervised cardiac rehabilitation and adult fitness program. A physician office lease program brings specialists to the valley on a regular basis, and nutrition counseling, diabetes education classes and laboratory services round out a care offering that ensures Santa Ynez Valley residents can access a wide range of services without leaving their community. The Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation supports the hospital’s mission as a dedicated nonprofit organization.
Scheurer Health (Pigeon, Mich.). Scheurer Health is a physician-led critical access hospital system that in 2025 acquired Harbor Beach (Mich.) Community Hospital to become a two-hospital critical access system, enabling continued expansion of high-quality care across the region. Over the past three years, net revenue at Scheurer Health’s primary critical access hospital alone increased by more than 33%, while net revenue for the entire health system grew 63% over the same period. The organization is preparing to break ground in 2026 on a 60,000-square-foot medical hub and an additional 30,000-square-foot outpatient facility, a capital investment reflecting its commitment to long-term infrastructure growth. Scheurer Health provides and staffs school wellness clinics in six surrounding school districts and added two retail pharmacy locations in 2026, bringing the total to six retail pharmacies. The organization completed the addition of a third operating room and converted its ambulance service to advanced life support with paramedics in March 2026. A rural track residency program in partnership with Saginaw-based Central Michigan University Health is scheduled to begin in 2027, creating a local physician pipeline. Scheurer Health earned recognition as a “Top 20 Critical Access Hospital” for patient satisfaction by the National Rural Health Association in 2025 and scored in the 90th percentile for employee engagement and satisfaction by Press Ganey in 2025.
Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (Manistique, Mich.). Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital is a 12-bed critical access hospital that in 2025 celebrated its 75th anniversary of caring for the local community. The hospital has built out a broad range of specialty practices, including oncology with a new infusion suite, rheumatology, nephrology, urology, cardiology, general surgery, surgical podiatry, ENT, gastroenterology and orthopedics to ensure residents can access care close to home. The hospital has earned a 5-star rating from the National Rural Rating System and continues to invest in state-of-the-art medical imaging, upgrading its ultrasound, EKG, X-ray and fluoroscopy equipment in recent years. In 2026, the hospital is expanding service offerings to include orthopedic surgery, extended cardiology hours, Pluvicto treatments, Inspire sleep apnea treatments and additional gastroenterology procedures. The hospital is also working to strengthen its partnership with the local tribe by implementing practices that align with the tribe’s spiritual traditions, a model of culturally responsive rural healthcare delivery. Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital has extended family practice services across two counties to better serve the broader region, supported by a roster of visiting providers across multiple specialties.
Scotland County Hospital (Memphis, Mo.). As the sole hospital for a five-county region in extreme Northeast Missouri, Scotland County Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital that also operates four rural health clinics in four counties to provide primary and preventive care close to home. The hospital offers a breadth of specialty and surgical services, including orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, podiatry and minimally invasive pain management. Through strategic partnerships, the hospital also brings oncology, neurology, nephrology and rheumatology services to the region. In 2024, the hospital earned an American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Bronze” award for its commitment to evidence-based acute coronary syndrome care. The hospital recently deployed the MEDITECH Expanse EHR across the hospital and all four rural health clinics, enabling real-time care coordination and a patient portal with access to test results, discharge instructions and direct communication with care teams. Through the Missouri Hospital Association “Supply Chain Integration Program,” Scotland County Hospital strengthened its supply chain resilience and now maintains approximately a year and a half of critical personal protective equipment supplies. The hospital has joined the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative to enhance staff training and improve postpartum care, including building trust with Amish and Mennonite communities through a partnership with independent lay midwives.
Shenandoah Memorial Hospital (Woodstock, Va.). Part of Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health’s four-hospital critical access network, Shenandoah Memorial Hospital has been recognized via CMS 5-star ratings for its likelihood to be recommended and its nurse communication. Two nurses at the hospital received the “Virginians Speak Up For Safety Award” from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, honoring caregivers who speak up to protect patients and staff from potential harm. Community gardens at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital helped yield more than 7,000 pounds of produce last year to address food insecurity across the region, and construction of a fixed MRI is underway to expand access to advanced medical imaging technology in the rural region. Valley Health’s four critical access hospitals collectively treated 54,512 emergency department patients in 2025, with outpatient satisfaction ranking in the 94th percentile nationwide.
South Central Health (Wishek, N.D.). South Central Health is anchored by Wishek Hospital, a 24-bed critical access hospital and level 5 trauma center that has served the region for more than 70 years and employs approximately 100 people, making it one of the largest local employers and the area’s dominant healthcare organization. The hospital provides 24/7 emergency care supported by eEmergency technology, 24-hour urgent care, acute inpatient care, skilled and intermediate swing-bed care, respite care and around-the-clock ambulance services. Diagnostic capabilities include CT scans, onsite laboratory services, EKG, X-ray, IV infusion therapy and 3D mammography, while scheduled mobile units bring ultrasound services three times per week, cardiac stress tests every two weeks and nuclear medicine every two weeks to the community. Rural health clinics extend primary care, health and wellness services across the surrounding region, ensuring residents across multiple communities can access coordinated care close to home. Outpatient services include minor surgical procedures, pediatric care, physical therapy, dietary consultation, bone density scans, sleep studies and social services consultation.
Southwest Memorial Hospital (Cortez, Colo.). 20-bed Southwest Memorial Hospital is part of Cortez-based Southwest Health System, the largest healthcare provider in the area. The system operates more than 50 service lines across Southwest Memorial Hospital and six affiliated clinics in the region. The system’s family birthing center earned the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation, which is the highest national recognition for excellence in safe, evidence-based maternity care, and the hospital has earned Chartis “Performance Leadership Awards” for outstanding outcomes in both 2024 and 2025. In 2025, the nonprofit Colorado Rural Health Center honored the system on National Rural Health Day for community impact, leadership and commitment to strengthening rural healthcare access. Through a new partnership with Montrose (Colo.) Regional Health, the system established on-site cardiology services, significantly reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for advanced cardiac care. Southwest Health System is also participating in two perinatal improvement initiatives with the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative, exceeding the requirements of Colorado Senate Bill 24-175 and CMS requirements for perinatal care improvement. The system is implementing an EHR across its clinics to unify care coordination and has launched the “Trailhead Leadership Series,” an internal program investing in emerging leaders throughout the organization.
TriState Health (Clarkston, Wash.). TriState Health is a nonprofit, community-owned 25-bed critical access hospital serving a 10-county area across Washington, Idaho and Oregon. The hospital provides 24-hour emergency care, primary and specialty care, dialysis, a sleep lab, a pain clinic, surgery and physical therapy, with an average inpatient census that consistently exceeds the state critical access hospital average. Founded in 1955 through individual and business donations, including a door-to-door campaign by the American War Mothers, the hospital provided more than $2.5 million in charitable care last year and offers free sports physicals and certified nursing assistant courses for high school students. In 2025, the hospital received the Chartis Center for Rural Health “Performance Leadership Award” for excellence in quality, outcomes and patient perspective, and the American Heart Association’s “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Rural Recognition Gold Award,” adding to a 2024 CMS 5-star rating for patient experience. TriState Health has recently expanded women’s health services, launched a dermatology program, expanded orthopedic care and began offering minor care services seven days a week, while also introducing urogynecology and an athletic training program in 2024. The hospital is in the process of launching a family medicine residency program in partnership with the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, which would make TriState Health one of only four critical access hospitals in the U.S., and only the second in Washington, to operate a standalone residency program. The hospital also used 340B program resources to sponsor a new medication dispensary area at Lewiston, Idaho-based Snake River Community Clinic, a free clinic serving patients with chronic conditions who face financial barriers to care.
UAB St. Vincent’s Blount (Oneonta, Ala.). UAB St. Vincent’s Blount is a 25-bed critical access hospital that takes an entrepreneurial approach to expanding services beyond the typical rural hospital offerings. The hospital has built out an extensive care line that includes inpatient and outpatient wound care, hospitalist medicine, a retail pharmacy, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, a two-bed sleep lab, an outpatient geriatric psychiatry program, an infusion clinic, peripherally inserted central catheter line services, hospice and respite care, pain management, two rural health clinics and durable medical equipment services. The hospital has also developed a robust telemedicine program covering telepsychiatry, telestroke, telecardiology, telenephrology, telehospitalist, teleICU and teletrauma. UAB St. Vincent’s Blount holds a 5-star HCAHPS rating and has earned recognition as a psychologically safe campus, with high associate satisfaction and culture of safety scores, as well as notably low associate turnover. Keeping pace with diagnostic technology, the hospital recently added a wide-bore MRI to its radiology department and will add a 128-slice CT scanner in spring 2026.
University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown was the first hospital in the state to receive a Maryland Rural Hospital designation. The hospital earned this distinction through its achievement of geriatric emergency department accreditation, its designation as an Age Friendly Health System and its membership in Healthy People 2030. The hospital’s community outreach team collaborates with partners to offer home safety inspections, advance directives preparation assistance, blood pressure checks, health screenings, chronic illness case management, wellness activities, and telehealth consultation arrangements. The hospital also has a health education program that provides free community health education classes. In addition, a remote patient monitoring program was launched in February 2024, giving providers access to health information that keeps patients healthier at home. The critical access hospital added a new MRI machine, partially funded by the Chester River Health Foundation, in September 2025.
Virginia Gay Hospital (Vinton, Iowa). Virginia Gay Hospital is a privately operated nonprofit critical access hospital that has been in operation since 1923, founded through a $50,000 bequest in 1914. The hospital offers a broad range of services including acute care, behavioral health, prenatal care, well-child care, specialist and surgical services, wound care, respiratory therapy, sleep studies, imaging, laboratory and nutritional services, ensuring families can access comprehensive care across all stages of life close to home. Virginia Gay Hospital also operates Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab, extending the organization’s continuum of care into long-term and rehabilitative services, and provides home healthcare for patients recovering or managing chronic conditions in their own residences. Throughout its century of service, the hospital has undergone substantial changes and improvements largely through the generosity of community members, reflecting the deep civic investment that has sustained the institution across generations. The hospital’s purpose of providing quality health care through innovative, growth-oriented techniques while maintaining a sound financial base has guided its evolution from a small community hospital into a comprehensive rural health system.
WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center (Ranson, W.Va.). WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center is the only hospital in Jefferson County, one of the state’s fastest-growing regions. The 25-bed critical access center provides 24/7 emergency care, inpatient services, surgical care and vital diagnostic resources. The hospital’s level 4 trauma designation reduces life-threatening delays for stroke, cardiac and trauma patients who would otherwise face long travel distances for care. Jefferson Medical Center holds a CMS 5-star cleanliness rating and a 5-star “likely to recommend” rating, reflecting exceptional infection prevention standards and high patient satisfaction. The hospital has been recognized by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses as a center of excellence in surgical safety: smoke evacuation, earning the association’s “Go Clear Award.” Since introducing the da Vinci Xi surgical system in April 2024, surgeons have performed more than 300 robotic-assisted procedures, bringing minimally invasive options to patients who previously traveled to larger centers. The hospital has announced plans to begin construction in summer 2026 on a new infusion and cancer care suite affiliated with the WVU Medicine Cancer Institute in Morgantown, W.Va., and is developing a new three-story ambulatory building that will house advanced imaging, laboratory services and medical office space to serve a growing population.
War Memorial Hospital (Berkeley Springs, W.Va.). War Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital that is part of Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health’s four-hospital critical access network. The hospital earned the Press Ganey “Guardian of Excellence Award” for both acute care and employee experience in 2025. The hospital has received a CMS 5-star rating for its long-term care unit, and has also received recognition as a hospital people are most likely to recommend and as a top hospital for nurse communication, both based on CMS 5-star ratings. Valley Health’s four critical access hospitals collectively treated 54,512 patients in their emergency departments, recorded 33,809 patient days and conducted 373,247 outpatient laboratory tests in 2025, with inpatient satisfaction in the 79th percentile, outpatient satisfaction in the 94th percentile and emergency department satisfaction in the 84th percentile nationwide. Through a West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy grant, War Memorial Hospital has developed “Project Engage,” a coordinated substance use disorder program staffed by peer recovery support specialists to connect patients to treatment programs, outpatient counseling, detoxification and harm-reducing tools including free take-home naloxone kits.
Waverly (Iowa) Health Center. In 2025, Waverly Health Center celebrated the 20th anniversary of Center Pharmacy and the Birthing Center’s opening in the Centennial Pavilion, and completed an expansion of its Center for Pediatric Therapies that added two treatment rooms and strengthened rehabilitation services for children across the region. The hospital extended walk-in clinic hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, recruited new providers across emergency medicine, orthopedics and urology, and purchased a new MRI breast coil through the Waverly Health Center Foundation to strengthen breast cancer diagnostic capabilities. A breast cancer support group was launched to provide education and emotional support for patients and families, and a Community Health Needs Assessment was completed and made publicly available to guide future strategic priorities. The hospital named a chief quality officer to its administrative team in 2025, reinforcing a systemwide focus on quality improvement and patient outcomes, and successfully completed its Joint Commission survey demonstrating continued regulatory excellence. Waverly Health Center was recognized by The Courier‘s “Best of the Best Awards” as a community favorite for both best hospital and customer service in 2025, and the hospital also launched the Workday business system in preparation for an Epic EHR implementation in October 2026.
Weiser (Idaho) Memorial Hospital. The 25-bed Weiser Memorial Hospital has served a vital role in its rural community for more than 75 years, with a mission to save lives, improve health and build community via clinical care and direct investment in community wellbeing. The hospital is home to the only orthopedic surgeon in Idaho that offers the Jiffy Knee quad-sparing knee replacement approach. In addition, the critical access hospital recently installed a first-of-its-kind wide-bore MRI enclosed unit, expanding diagnostic capabilities for the region. Mental and behavioral health services have been integrated within the primary care clinic, a model that improves access to behavioral care for patients who might otherwise not seek it. The hospital installed free outdoor gym equipment in the community to improve access to physical activity and is preparing to install a “Safe Haven Baby Box,” the only one within hundreds of miles, impacting community health beyond the hospital’s walls. Weiser Memorial Hospital also hosts a free annual sports physical event for local student-athletes and has extended thousands of dollars in sponsorships and volunteer hours to local groups and organizations. The hospital has been recognized as a top 10 “Best Place to Work” in Idaho for 2025 and received an honorable mention in each of the four preceding years.
Windom (Minn.) Area Health. Windom Area Health is an 18-bed critical access hospital that has gained national recognition as a model for rural healthcare, including a feature on the educational television series “All Access with Andy Garcia” in a segment titled “Small Town, Big Care.” The cornerstone of the hospital’s recent growth is a $24 million, 52,000-square-foot, four-story medical building, independently developed by the hospital, which centralizes OB/GYN, orthopedics, urology, mental health and general surgery. The building was recognized with the 2025 NAIOP Minnesota “Award of Excellence” in the medical/medical office category. The hospital’s top floor features a wellness center with panoramic views, specialized studio spaces and a demonstration kitchen, offering programming such as nutritional education and “Alive & Active” fitness classes as part of a deliberate shift toward preventive care. Windom Area Health serves more than 122,000 residents across eight counties through satellite specialty clinics, and extends general surgery outreach to Murray County Medical Center in Slayton, Minn. The hospital’s leadership team guides the “Vision for Windom” committee, a coalition of city and school officials addressing systemic rural challenges, including a regional childcare shortage, work that earned the hospital the 2025 Windom Area Chamber “Large Business of the Year” award. The Windom Area Health Foundation has awarded more than $18,000 in scholarships to local students pursuing healthcare careers, and the hospital’s patient and family advisory council received the Minnesota Hospital Association “Innovation of the Year Award” in 2024.
Yoakum (Texas) Community Hospital. Yoakum Community Hospital is a 23-bed critical access hospital that holds designation as the only level 4 trauma facility in the area. The hospital has also earned the American Heart Association’s “Gold Standard” certification in stroke response, ensuring that residents of the rural Texas community have access to time-sensitive emergency and trauma care close to home. The hospital’s wound care program, contracted through Restorix Health, offers both advanced wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in coordination with the hospital’s physician team. The hospital was named a 2024 Chartis “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” and received the 2025 Women’s Choice Award as a “Best Hospital.” In 2025, Yoakum Community Hospital recruited a new family medicine provider and general surgeon to strengthen its physician workforce. The hospital is expanding its therapy and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services, with a new dedicated space set to open in 2026. A new partnership between the hospital’s diagnostic imaging center and Inspire Radiology is enabling patients to access faster results and easier scheduling for imaging services.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.