War Memorial Hospital receives national recognition

SAULT STE. MARIE — As part of the 2021 National Rural Health Day celebration, War Memorial Hospital has been recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.

The hospital was recognized with a Performance Leadership Award in the category of Outcomes, reflecting top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the nation. 

“We are honored to have received this award from the National Rural Health Association,” said David Jahn, president and CEO of War Memorial, in a statement via email. “Our staff and physicians have worked tirelessly over the last few years to serve our community and this award is a result of their dedication to the patients and residents we serve. Being honored as one of the 100 best rural hospitals in the United States is a remarkable accomplishment and all of the credit for getting this award goes to the excellent staff that we have serving our patients.”

The Performance Leadership Awards use the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, 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.

For this award, War Memorial Hospital was recognized for the overall excellence in the Outcomes category. Officials said War Memorial is committed to creating an environment in which potential errors are anticipated, detected early and virtually always responded to early enough to prevent errors.

 “We are proud to mark this year’s National Rural Health Day by recognizing rural hospitals’ steadfast commitment to serving their communities and delivering high-quality care,” said Michael Topchik, national leader for The Chartis Center for Rural Health, in a press release. “In the face of tremendous challenges, these top quartile performers continue to exemplify the power of rural and create a blueprint for excellence in quality, outcomes and patient perspectives.”

— Contact News Reporter Taylor Worsham at tworsham@sooeveningnews.com.