(KNZA)--Hiawatha Community Hospital announced it has been recognized as a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital.

Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This 11th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®.

“We’ve had many challenges in the past”, according to John Broberg, CEO, “it is great to see the team weather those challenges and rally to improve operational performance that merits this special recognition as one of the TOP 100 Critical Access Hospitals.”

“The Top 100 program continues to illuminate strategies and innovation for delivering higher quality care and better outcomes within rural communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be able to spotlight the efforts of these facilities through the INDEX framework.”

Over the course of the last 11 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives.

About Hiawatha Community Hospital

Hiawatha Community Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Hiawatha, Kansas since 1951. The hospital provides inpatient, outpatient, surgical, and emergency room care and sponsors two rural health clinics in Hiawatha and a third clinic in Highland, Kansas, providing primary care services to the communities they serve.

Hiawatha Community Hospital and Amberwell Health recently announced an affiliation to create a clinically integrated network to provide patients in Northeast Kansas improved access to a full spectrum of care close to home.

The affiliation of Hiawatha Community Hospital and Amberwell Health provides the opportunity to strengthen the future of healthcare in Northeast Kansas and surrounding areas. Within Amberwell Health, the affiliated organizations can share clinical service lines and operational infrastructures.