DEL NORTE — Rio Grande Hospital announced Wednesday, Feb. 15, that it was recognized as a 2023 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX.

Arlene Harms, Chief Executive Officer of Rio Grande Hospital, stated, "This is a great honor for us, considering the last two challenging years with the pandemic. It speaks to our staff’s resilience and commitment to the organization and community. We have an amazing group of people at Rio Grande Hospital.

"This award is significant because it is based on many factors, such as market status and strategic planning to improve population health, quality improvement and programming, and financial and operational assessments,” she added.

Now in its 13th year, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

“Across the nation, top 100 rural providers continue to serve as a source of inspiration for hospital leadership teams and staff working diligently every day to improve the delivery of care within their local communities,” said Michael Topchik, National leader for the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “The list of award winners in each category is as geographically diverse as we’ve seen in some time, which is wonderful to see. We’re thrilled to be able to honor the outstanding efforts of these top-performing rural hospitals.”