Hospitals in Blair, Corning and Missouri Valley recognized by National Rural Health Association

(OMAHA, Neb.) – Three hospitals in the Alegent Health system, Alegent Health Community Memorial Hospital in Missouri Valley, Alegent Health Mercy Hospital in Corning and Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, have been named to the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in America by the iVantage Health Analytics Hospital Strength Index.

According to the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), those on the Top 100 list scored best on the Hospital Strength Index™. In this first comprehensive rating of critical access hospitals, the index recognized top performing hospitals as a critical safety net to communities across the country – measuring them across 56 different performance metrics including quality, outcomes, patient perspective, affordability and efficiency.

Alegent Health President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard A. Hachten II, FACHE, said that high quality scores and good outcomes are important to everyone. “To have our hospitals recognized for their performance is an honor, but even without the recognition, providing high-quality care and good patient outcomes are our focus every day,” said Hachten. “We are dedicated to leading the transformation of healthcare in every community we serve.”

"Now is the time for us to advance the analytics and transparency of the rural health sector. We play such a critical role in providing needed care to Americans, yet our challenges are completely different in access while equally complex in delivery as urban hospitals. We celebrate this diversity and these every day challenges and will need new solutions to ensure our sustainability under the Affordable Care Act. NRHA is committed to advancing performance improvement in our hospitals," said Alan Morgan, NRHA chief executive officer.

For more information on the NRHA and the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation, go to RuralHealthWeb.org. For more information on awards earned by Alegent Health, go to Alegent.com/Awards.

About Alegent Health
With a commitment to providing high-quality care and an exceptional patient experience, Alegent Health, its 1,300 physicians and 8,600 employees are focused on caring for the body, mind and spirit of every person. Patients find a continuum of care at Alegent Health, from primary care through geriatrics. Families can also find specialty care at Alegent Health including women's and children's, cardiovascular, orthopedics, spine, oncology, physical rehabilitation and behavioral health services. Sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives and Immanuel, Alegent Health has nine hospitals, freestanding inpatient psychiatric and skilled nursing facilities and more than 100 sites of service making us the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care provider in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. For more information, visit www.alegent.com.