St. John's Lutheran Hospital recently was awarded the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network’s Quality Improvement Award for its work on Pediatric Emergency Care. 

The awards were announced during the general session at the Montana Healthcare Association Annual Convention held in Billings recently.

The Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network (PIN) is a voluntary membership of 48 critical access hospitals throughout the state. 

Through this network member hospitals are able to benchmark their performance with their peers on a variety of financial, utilization and direct patient care measures that encourage safe, effective, patient-centered care delivery in even the most remote communities of the state. 

PIN quality of care measures are based on national benchmarks, but are tailored to reflect the realities of the state’s rural population.

Throughout 2010 and 2011, PIN members worked in one or more of three focus areas to improve the quality of care provided to members of their communities.

St. John’s Lutheran Hospital has demonstrated a commitment to its community and the region it serves through its effort to participate in the PIN’s benchmarking and quality of care improvement programs. 

Cathy Wolfe, Vice President of Nursing Services, received the award for the facility at the Performance Improvement Network’s regional meeting.