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Watonga
WATONGA, Okla. – Mercy Hospital Watonga has once again been named one of rural America’s best hospitals.
The Chartis Center for Rural Health named the hospital to its annual list of the 100 top performing critical access hospitals across the U.S.
“Critical access hospitals have such a deep connection to the people in the communities we serve,” said Dustin Yowell, Mercy Hospital Watonga administrator. “When you’re in our care, you’re in the care of your neighbors and you’re close to your friends and family. It’s an honor to be caregivers to our neighbors, and being on the Chartis list is a reflection of how seriously we take our compassionate care.”
Rural hospitals deliver essential, often lifesaving care to communities that would otherwise face long travel times, limited access to specialists and significant health disparities.
Mercy Hospital Kingfisher also made the list, along with Mercy Hospital Berryville and Mercy Hospital Paris in Arkansas. Mercy Hospital Ardmore, and Mercy Hospital Washington in Missouri, made the Chartis list for the 100 top performing rural hospitals.
A critical access hospital is a small rural facility designated by Medicare to improve access to care, capped at 25 inpatient beds and required to maintain 24/7 emergency services, while a community hospital provides a broad range of general medical services to the local population. Each hospital on Chartis’ Top 100 lists has demonstrated consistently strong patient outcomes, high operational efficiency and resilience in the face of unique geographic and economic challenges.
“The delivery of care within rural communities is more complex today than at any point in recent memory,” said Michael Topchik, executive director of The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “This year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals have emerged as true leaders who are committed to their mission through a powerful combination of resilience, dedication and innovation. We’re delighted to recognize this year’s winners and celebrate their Top 100 status.”
The Chartis awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, which recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals. Now in its 16th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging a methodology that uses publicly available data, the INDEX is used nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations, quality, patient perspective and finance.
Mercy Hospital Watonga is a 25-bed hospital, offering swing beds, therapy and other critical health care services to local patients. Read more about it on the Mercy Hospital Watonga website on mercy.net.
