Six TMF HQIC Partners Named Top Critical Access Hospitals

HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED FOR BEST PRACTICE IN QUALITY AND PATIENT SATISFACTION

Six hospitals participating in TMF Health Quality Institute’s Hospital Quality Improvement Contract (HQIC) program were recently recognized as top critical access hospitals (CAHs) in the country by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) based on data from the Chartis Center for Rural Health.

Mercy Hospital Booneville, a 25-bed CAH serving Logan County in Arkansas; Mercy Hospital Waldron, a 24-bed facility in Scott County, Arkansas; and Moore County Hospital District (MCHD) in Dumas, Texas were named top hospitals for best practice in quality – a rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across rural-relevant process of care measures.

“MCHD is proud to be named a 2023 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital for Best Practice in Quality,” says Jeff Turner, MCHD CEO. “Delivering high quality health care is never accidental. Quality is intentional and results from skilled and empowered people focusing on outcomes. At MCHD, quality is a team effort that includes our board, medical staff, administration, and clinical and non-clinical employees.”

Electra Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed facility and Level IV Trauma Center in Electra, Texas; Lynn County Hospital, a 24-bed CAH in Tahoka, Texas; and Martin County Hospital, an 18-bed facility in Stanton, Texas were recognized as top CAHs for best practice in patient satisfaction – a rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across all 10 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) domains.

“Martin County Hospital District is proud of the efforts of the providers and staff who have contributed to our hospital achieving this designation,” according to Nancy Cooke, hospital CEO. “Our results as a top patient-care hospital means our community can count on us to deliver the services they need now and in the future.”

Critical Access Hospital is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to health care in rural, often underserved communities. Among other eligibility conditions, hospitals must have 25 or fewer acute care inpatient beds and be located more than 35 miles from another facility. **

“NRHA is committed to ensuring our members have the best information to manage their hospitals,” says Brock Slabach, NRHA’s chief operations officer. “We’re pleased to recognize the accomplishments of these rural hospitals.” An awards ceremony for honorees will be held during NRHA’s Critical Access Hospital Conference in September in Kansas City, Mo.

As a CMS-designated HQIC, TMF provides targeted quality improvement assistance to small, rural and critical access hospitals to assist in ensuring the safety and quality of care delivered to all Medicare beneficiaries.