North Valley Hospital recognized for focus on rural health
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 8 months AGO
North Valley Hospital (Whitefish Pilot photo)
North Valley Hospital has been recognized as a top hospital in the nation for its focus on rural health.
The award comes from The Chartis Group, a leading healthcare advisory and analytics firm, and was also given to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, both for the second consecutive year.
North Valley Hospital was named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital and Kalispell Regional Medical Center was named a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital.
“We are proud to have two hospitals in our healthcare system in that special class of well-run hospitals,” says KRH President and CEO Dr. Craig Lambrecht. “I commend our employees, medical staff and management team for their hard work serving patients in rural Montana. This recognition is evidence of our team’s commitment to excellence in medical care and excellence in operations.”
Based entirely on publicly available data, the ratings are the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance, according to a release from both hospitals. Each year, The Chartis Group uses 50 independent indicators to assess performance across eight pillars. The top performers are those who excel in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers.
Hospitals recognized as Top 100 facilities had one of the 100 highest overall scores among all rural and community hospitals nationally. Other facilities look to these top performers as benchmarks as they strive to achieve similar results.
“We are extremely honored to be recognized for the second year in a row in the Top 100 for Critical Access Hospitals,” said North Valley Hospital CEO Kevin Abel. “I’m incredibly proud of our team here at North Valley Hospital and for our commitment to patient care and serving our community.”
ARTICLES BY STAFF REPORT
Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.