Livingston HealthCare has been named one of the top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) based on a study from a nationally reputed health care research firm, iVantage Health Analytics. This prestigious honor highlights the hospital’s continued growth as a vital regional health care provider.
The ranking appears in the iVantage Health Analytics Hospital Strength INDEX, which is touted as the industry’s most comprehensive assessment of rural hospital performance in the country. Livingston HealthCare received a 99.5 overall score, compared to a median score of 57.46 for all other Montana CAHs, and a hospital strength index rank of 100.0.
“Livingston HealthCare has long been focused on serving its community well,” stated Bren Lowe, CEO of Livingston HealthCare. “This recognition represents our commitment to provide the highest level of quality and care to those that we serve.”
The Hospital Strength INDEX tracks performance metrics for more than 4,000 acute care hospitals, including over 2,000 rural and critical access hospitals. It aggregates data for more than 70 indicators, compiled into nine performance pillars, and ranks hospitals against national peer groups using a 0-100 scale for all performance categories. It’s the first rating system to include the country’s nearly 1,300 critical access hospitals, a federal designation for small rural hospitals with 25 inpatient beds or less.
Livingston HealthCare scored well across the board, including high rankings in quality, patient safety, outcomes, affordability, and financial stability, among other categories. In a number of cases, it received above-90 percentile rankings, and as high as 98.Last fall, iVantage Health Analytics and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) recognized Livingston HealthCare for overall excellence in outcomes and financial strength as a Top 100 critical access hospital. To qualify, a hospital’s performance had to rank in the top quartile of all acute care hospitals in the U.S.
These top 100 Critical Access Hospitals exhibit a focused concern for their community benefits and needs, regardless of scale, reimbursement and people’s ability to pay,” said Michael Topchik, senior vice president of iVantage Health Analytics.
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